BVA'r11 SCHOOttESSO
SA
OIR 'WONDERFUL GOD
SENIOR DIVISION, No.
SECOND. QUARTER, 1959
THE BLESSING OF DAILY STUDY
"He who by faith receives the word is receiving the very life and character
of God. Every seed brings forth fruit after its kind.... Receive into the soul
by faith the incorruptible seed of the word, and it will bring forth a character
and a life after the similitude of the character and the life of
God."—Christ's
Object Lessons,
page 38.
"Appreciation of the Bible grows with its study."—/bid., p. 132.
"God will make the most precious revelations to His hungering, thirsting
people. They will find that Christ is a personal Saviour. As they feed upon
His word, they find that it is spirit and life. The word destroys the natural,
earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ jesus."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 391.
"The neglect of the word means starvation to the
soul."—Counsels on
Sabbath School Work,
page 44.
My Daily Lesson Study Pledge
As one who greatly desires to improve his knowledge of the Scriptures, I
pledge myself to the careful and prayerful study of some portion of my Sab-
bath school lesson each day of the week.
Name
LESSON TITLES FOR THE QUARTER
1.
God's Satisfying Friendship
2.
God's Transcendent and Mysterious
Nature
3.
God's Ceaseless Work as Creator
and Sustainer
4.
God's Perfect Character
5.
God's Perfect Character—Con-
tinued
6.
God's Unsearchable Wisdom
7.
God's Universal Government
8.
God's Immutable Law
9.
God's Sacred Name
Io. God's Omnipotence
H. God's Consuming Glory
32. God's Holy Word
13. God's Wonderful Fatherhood
Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, No. 256, April-June, 1969. 20 cents a single copy, 76 cents
a year (four issues) ; no additional charge to countries requiring extra postage. Published in the
U.S.A. by Pacific Press Publishing Association (a corporation of S.D.A.), 1350 Villa Street,
Mountain View, California. Second-class mail privileges authorized at Mountain View, California.
When a change of address is desired, please be sure to send both old and new addresses.
Copyright, 1959, by Pacific Press Publishing Association
Printed in U.S.A.
Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly
OUR WONDERFUL GOD
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
"A knowledge of God is the foundation of
all true education and of all true service. It
is the only real safeguard against tempta-
tion.
It is this alone that can make us like
God in character.
"This is the knowledge needed by all who
are working for the uplifting of their fellow
men. Transformation of character, purity
of life, efficiency in service, adherence to cor-
rect principles,
all depend upon a right
knowledge of God.
This knowledge is the
essential preparation both for this life and
for the life to come."—The
Ministry of
Healing,
page 409. (Italics supplied.)
While a knowledge of God has always
been needed by followers of truth, it is of
special importance to members of the rem-
nant church, for they must meet the final
issues connected with loyalty to God and
His law.
"Those who endeavor to obey all the com-
mandments of God will be opposed and de-
rided. They can stand only in God. In
order to endure the trial before them, they
'must understand the will of God as revealed
in His word; they can honor Him
only as
they have a right conception of His charac-
ter, government, and purposes,
and act in
accordance with them."—The
Great Con-
troversy,
page 593. (Italics supplied.)
The Sabbath school lessons this quarter
are designed to help every member under-
stand more perfectly the great God whom
we serve. This knowledge, if reverently re-
ceived, will do much toward enabling each
Christian to remain steadfast to the end.
Lesson 1, for April 4, 1959
God's Satisfying Friendship
MEMORY VERSE:
"Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good
shall come unto thee." Job 22:21.
STUDY HELPS:
"Prophets and Kings," pages 311-321; "The Ministry of Healing,"
pages 451-457; "The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson
texts; Lesson Help in "Review and Herald" of March 19.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check
Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
Monday: Questions 5-7.
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 11, 12; begin
reading from Study Helps..
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
13]
Lesson Outline
Introduction
,
I. Importance of Knowing God
1.
Necessary for eternal life. John 17:3.
2.
The source of all spiritual blessings.
2 Peter 1:2, 3.
- "
3.
Is true wisdom. Prov. 9:10.
4.
Is greatest cause for satisfaction.
Jer. 9:23, 24.
II. Avenues Through Which Men Become
Acquainted With God
5. God revealed through visible things.
Rom. 1:19, 20.
6.
The heavenly bodies declare Him.
Ps. 19:1-3.
7.
The Father revealed through Christ.
John 14:8, 9; 8:19.
8.
Christ revealed in Scriptures. John
5:39.
III. Conditions for Knowing God
9.
Be still. Ps. 46:10.
10.
Earnest desire. Ps. 42:1 ; 63:1; 84:2.
11.
Praying, having forsaken sin. James
4:8; Ps. 145:18.
12.
Search with whole heart. Jer. 29:13.
THE LESSON
soul in the image of God. It will impart to
the whole being a spiritual power that is
divine."-The
Ministry of Healing,
page
425.
2.
How many spiritual blessings
are available through a knowledge of
God? Name two. 2 Peter 1:2, 3.
Introduction
God created man in His own image, with
the capabilities necessary to develop a char-
acter like His. He also placed within man
a desire to know God and have fellowship
with Him. Without God, man is restless,
often seeking to satisfy his vague, little-
understood craving for God's friendship by
reaching out for worldly pleasures or by
seeking the companionship of those who
mind earthly things.
Throughout the Bible God extends an in-
vitation to man to become acquainted with
Him. A partial knowledge of Him can be
obtained in several ways, such as through
the Inspired Word, through Christ, through
nature, and through personal experience.
Through these avenues of revelation we may
learn to love God and develop a satisfying
friendship with Him. Beyond what has been
revealed, however, we have been warned
not to speculate.
Importance of Knowing God
1. What
priceless gift will come to
all who truly know God? John 17:3.
NOTE.-"The
knowledge of God as ,
re-
vealed in Christ is the knowledge that all
who are saved must have. It is the knowl-
edge that works transformation of character.
This knowledge, received, will re-create the
NorE.-"Having received the faith of the
gospel, the next work of the believer is to
add to his character virtue, and thus cleanse
the heart and prepare the mind for the re-
ception of the knowledge of God. This
knowledge is the foundation of all true edu-
cation and of all true service. It is the only
real 'safeguard against temptation; and it
is this alone that can make one like God in
character. Through the knowledge of God
and of His Son Jesus Christ, are given to
the believer 'all things that pertain unto life
and godliness.' No good gift is withheld
from him who sincerely desires to obtain
the righteousness of God."-The
Acts of the
Apostles,
pages 530, 531.
3.
What does Solomon say is the
source of true wisdom and under-
standing? •Prov. 9:10.
NOTE.-"
'The fear of the Lord is the be-
ginning of wisdom; and
the knowledge of
the Holy
is understanding.' Proverbs 9:10.
(4
1
The great work of life is character building;
and a knowledge of God is the foundation of
all true education. . . . God has revealed
Himself to us in His word and in the works
of creation. Through the volume of inspira-
tion and the book of nature, we are "to ob.:
tain a knowledge of
God."—Patriarchs
,
s
and
Prophets,
page 596.
4.
What does God declare should
be man's greatest cause for joy and
personal satisfaction? Jer. 9:23, 24.
NOTE.—"There is a great deal of talk con-
cerning higher education, and many sup-
pose that higher education consists wholly
in an education in science and literature;
but this is not all. The highest education
includes the knowledge of the word of God,
and is comprehended in the words, 'That
they might know Thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom Thou halt sent.'
John 17:3.
"The highest class of education is that
which will give such knowledge and disci-
pline as will lead to the best development
of character, and will fit the soul for that
life which measures with the life of God.
... The highest education is that which will
teach our children and youth the science of
Christianity, which will give them an experi-
mental knowledge of God's ways, and will
impart to them the lessons that Christ gave
to His disciples, of the paternal character
of
God."—Counsels to Teachers,
pages 45,
46.
Avenues Through Which Men,
Become Acquainted With God
-
5.
Why are men without excuse if
they do not know God? Rom..1:19,
20.
Master Artist. Wherever we turn, we may
hear the voice of God, and see evidences of
His goodness:
"From the solemn roll of the deep-toned
thunder and old' ocean's ceaseless roar, to
the glad songs that make the forests vocal
with melody, nature's ten thousand voices
speak His praise: In earth and'sea and' sky,
with their marvelous tint and color, vary-
ing in gorgeous contrast or blended in har-
mony, we behold His glory. The everlasting
hills tell us of His power. The trees.that
wave their green banners in the sunlight,
and the flowers in their delicate beauty,
point to their Creator.... All the brightness
and beauty that adorn the earth and light
up the heavens, speak of
God."—The Min-
istry of Healing,
pages 411, 412.
6.
What message do the heavenly
bodies proclaim to mankind? Ps. 19:
1-3.,
NOTE.—"No: finite mind can fully' com-
prehend the, existence, the power, the wis-
dom, or the works of the Infinite One. . . .
The mightiest intellects of earth cannot
comprehend God. Men may be ever search-
ing, ever learning, and still there is an-in-
finity beyond. Yet the works of creation
testify of GO.d's polker and greathesi."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page• 116.
7.
Tor what lack of distermient did
Christ reprove the' people otHis day?
John 14:8, 9; 8:19. —
'
NOTE.—"In the song of the bird, the sigh-
ing of the trees, and the music of the sea,
we still may hear His voice who • talked •
with Adam in Eden in the cool of the
day."—The Desire of Ages,
pages 281, 282."
"Nature testifies that One infinite •in
power,
-
great in goodness, mercy, and love,
created the earth, and filled it with life and •y
gladness. Even in their blighted state, all
things reveal the handiwork of the great
[
6
]
NoTE.—"All that man needs to know or
can know of God has been revealed in the
life and character of His
Son."—Testi-
monies,
vol. 8, p. 286.
8.
What is one way by which we
may become acquainted with Christ?
John 5:39.
NorE.—"Jesus said of the Old Testament
Scriptures,—and how much more is it true
of the New,—`They are they which testify
of Me,' the Redeemer, Him in whom our
hopes of eternal life are centered. John 5:
39. Yes, the whole Bible tells of Christ.
From the first record of creation—for 'with-
out Him was not anything made that was
made'—to the closing promise, 'Behold, I
come quickly,' we are reading of His works
and listening to His voice. John 1:3 ; Revela-
tion
22:12.
If you would become acquainted
with the Saviour, study the Holy Scrip-
tures."—Steps
to Christ
(1956 and pocket
eds.), page 88.
Conditions for Knowing God
9.
What attitude or condition in
man is favorable to learning of the
Eternal One? Ps. 46:10.
NOTE.-"All
who are under the training
of God need the quiet hour for communion
with their own hearts, with nature, and
with God. In them is to be revealed a life
that is not in harmony with the world, its
customs, or its practices; and they need
to have a personal experience in obtaining
a knowledge of the will of God. We must
individually hear Him speaking to the heart.
When every other voice is hushed, and in
quietness we wait before Him, the silence
of the soul makes more distinct the voice
of God."—The
Ministry of Healing,
page
58.
10.
How earnestly must we desire
to become acquainted with God if we
are to know Him intimately? Ps. 42:
1; 63:1; 84:2.
11.
On what conditions will God
draw near to His people? James 4:8;
Ps. 145:18.
Nom—Prayer is one important means by
which we can draw nigh to God. "Although
there may be a tainted, corrupted atmos-
phere around us, we need not breathe its
miasma, but may live in the pure air of
heaven. We may close every door to im-
pure imaginings and unholy thoughts by
lifting the soul into the presence of God
through sincere prayer. Those whose hearts
are open to receive the support and bless-
ing of God will walk in a holier atmosphere
than that of earth and will have constant
communion with heaven."—Steps
to Christ,
page 99.
12.
What does God promise to
those who search for Him with the
whole heart? Jer. 29:13.
Questions for Meditation
1.
If I feel restless and unhappy, what
may be lacking in my life?
2.
Is it possible to develop a satisfying
friendship with God without spending some
time each day in contemplating His good-
ness and studying His word?
3.
If I know God, how successful will I
be in enduring the trials that come to all
Christians?
PLEASE NOTE: The pagination of the 1956 edition of "Steps to Christ" is the
same as the pocket edition. Where quotations are given from this book, this is
the pagination used. Where the book is listed as a study help, the pagination
in the old 1908 edition is also listed. "Love Unlimited," the 1959 Book of the Year,
cotitOins`"Steps to Christ" in the first half of the volume, with paging the same as
in the T956 edition.
E6]
Lesson 2, for April 11, 1959
God's Transcendent and Mysterious Nature
MEMORY VERSE:
"Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from
Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art,there: if I make my bed
in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning,'and dwell
in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and
Thy right hand shall hold me." Ps. 139:7-10.
STUDY HELPS:
"Testimonies," vol. 8, pp. 263-294; "The Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help in. "Review and Herald" of
March 26.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check
Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions 12-14.
Sunday: Questions 1-5.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 6-8.
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 9-11.
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. The Trinity
1.
There is only one God. Mark 12:29,
32 ; 1 Cor. 8:4-6 ; Deut. 6:4.
2.
God is three Persons. Gen. 1:1, 2, 26.
3.
Disciples are baptized in the name
of the Trinity. Matt. 28:19.
4.
Paul speaks of God, the Lord Jesus,
the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor. 13:14.
5.
Christ is one with the Father. John
10:30.
II. The Person of God
6. Man was made in God's image. Gen.
1:27.
7. Physical features of God mentioned
in Scripture. Gen. 3:9, 10; Deut. 33:
27; Ps. 34:15; Isa. 59:1 ; Rev. 22:4.
8. Christ as seen by Daniel and John.
Dan. 7:9; 10:5, 6; Rev. 1:12-17.
III.
God's Omnipresence
9. God is on His throne in heaven.
Ps.
11:4; Isa. 6:1; Rev. 4:2.
10. He is everywhere present by His
Spirit. Ps. 139:7-10.
11. He dwells in human hearts.
La.
57:15.
IV. God's Nature Illustrated
12. He is likened to fire. Heb. 12:29.
13. Revealed as fire to Moses and chil-
dren of Israel. Ex. 3:1-6; 13:21, 22.
14. Compared to, the wind. John 3:7, 8.
THE LESSON
Introduction
intellect may tax itself until it is wearied out
in conjectures regarding the nature of God,
Much has been revealed concerning. God, but the effort will be fruitless. This prob-
yet His true nature is a mystery to us.
lem has not been given us to solve. No
"The revelation of Himself that God has human mind
-
can comprehend God. None
given in His word is for our study. This
are to indulge in speculation regarding His
we may seek to understand. But beyond nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Om-
this we are not to penetrate. The highest
niscient One is above discussion....
[ 73
"We are as ignorant of God t as little
children ; but, as little children, we may love
and obey
Him."—The Ministry of Healing,
page 429.
The Trinity
1. What fundamental concept of
God do the Scriptures present? Mark
12:29, 32; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Deut. 6:4.
NOTE.—"In striking contrast to the na-
tions about them, who were polytheists, the
Hebrews believed in one true God. This
profession of faith hag been the watchWord
of the Hebrew race for more than 3,000
years (see Mark 12:2.9). The apostle Paul
states the same truth as a tenet of Chris-
tianity (1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph.
4:4-6)."—The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,
vol. 1,
p. 974.
' 2. What do we learn regarding the
Godhead from the record of the crea-
tion of the world? Gen. 1:1, 2, 26.
NoTE.—"The Spirit of God moved.
`Spirit,'
ruach.
In
,
harmoriy with Scriptuial
usage, the Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit,
the hi
rd Person of the Godhead."
"Let Us make man. . . :
The plural 'Us'
was regarded by the early church theologians
almost unanimously as indicative of the
Three Persons of the Godhead. The word
`us' requires the presence of at least two
persons counseling ,together.
L
The state-
ments that
man was to be made
in 'Our'
image and
was made
in 'God's' image leads
to the conclusion that those counseling must
both be Persons of the same Godhead."—
The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commen-
tary, vol.
1, pp. 209, 215.
3. In giving the great commission,,
how did Jesus emphasize the trinity
of the Godhead? Matt. 28:19.
NoTE.—"There are three living persons of
the heavenly trio; in the name of these three
great powers—the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ
by living faith are baptized, and these
powers will co-operate with the obedient
subjects of heaven in their efforts to live
the new life in
Christ."—Evangelism,
page
615.
4.
How does Paul make ieference
to the Trinity? 2 Cor. 13:14.
-
- -
NcrrE.—"The Father is all the fullness of
the Godhead' bodily, and is invisible to
mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of
the Godhead manifested.... The Comforter
that Christ promised to send after He as-
cended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the
fullness of the Godhead, making manifest
the power of divine grace to all who receive
and believe on Christ as a personal Saviour."
—Evangelism,
pages 614, 615.
5.
What did Jesus say of His rela-
tionship to His Father and the unity
existing between them? John 10:30.
NoTE.—"The unity that exists between
Christ and His disciples does not destroy
the personality of either. They are one in
purpose, in mind, in character, but not in
person. It is thus that God and Christ are
one."—The Ministry of Healing,
page 422.
All three members of the Deity shared
in laying the plan of salvation. "The God-
head was stirred with pity for the race,
and the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit gave Themselves to the working out
of the plan of redemption."—Counsels
on
Health,
page 222.
-
The Person of God
6.
What general pattern was used
when God created man? Gen. 1:27.
NoTE.
-
-"Man was to bear God's image,
both in outward resemblance and in char-
acter. % Christ alone is 'the express image'
of the Father; but man was formed in the
likeness of
God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 45.
f
8]
Since man was made in God's "image,"
we may understand that God is a person.
Throughout the Scriptures, He is described
as having the attributes of the type of per-
sonality with which we are familiar.
7.
What five physical aspects of God
indicate that He is a person? Gen. 3:
9, 10; Deut. 33:27; Ps. 34:15; Isa. 59:
1; Rev. 22:4.
NorE.—"God is a Spirit; yet He is a per-
sonal Being; for so He has revealed Him-
self."—The Ministry of Healing,
page 413.
"I have often seen the lovely Jesus, that
He is a
person.
I asked Him if His Father
was a person 'and had a form like Him-
self. Said Jesus, 'I am in the express
image
of My Father's
person.'"—Early Writings,
page
77.
The following interesting description of a
scene in heaven indicates the very real per-
sonality of both the Father and the Son:
"Before the foundations of the earth were
laid, the Father and the Son had united in
a covenant to redeem man if he should be
overcome by Satan. They had
clasped Their
hands
in a solemn pledge that Christ should
become the surety for the human race."—
The Desire of Ages,
page 834. (Italics sup-
plied.)
"The Holy Spirit is a person, for He
beareth witness with our spirits that we
are the children of God. ... The Holy Spirit
has a personality, else He could not bear
witness to our spirits and with our spirits
that we are the children of God. He must
also be a divine person, else He could not
search out the secrets which lie hidden in
the mind of
God."—Evangelism,
pages 616,
617.
8.
How does the description of "the
Ancient of Days" given by the prophet
Daniel compare with that of Christ
given by the apostle John in Revela-
tion? Dan. 7:9; 10:5, 6; Rev. 1:12-17.
God's Omnipresence
9.
Where is God's throne located?
Ps. 11:4; Isa. 6:1; Rev. 4:2.
NOTE.—"The greatness of God is to us
incomprehensible. 'The Lord's throne is in
heaven' (Psalm 11:4) ; yet by His Spirit He
is everywhere present. He has an intimate
knowledge of, and a personal interest in,
all the works of His
hand."—Education,
page 132.
10.
How do we know that God can
be everywhere present by His Spirit?
Ps. 139:7-10.
NOTE.—"The Bible shows us God in His
high and holy place, not in a state of inac-
tivity, not in silence and solitude, but
surrounded by ten thousand times ten thou-
sand and thousands of thousands of holy
beings, all waiting to do His will. Through
these messengers He is in active communi-
cation with every part of His dominion. By
His Spirit He is everywhere present.
Through the agency of His Spirit and His
angels He ministers to the children of men."
—The Ministry of Healing,
page 417.
11.
With whom has God promised
to dwell? Isa. 57:15.
NoTE.—"The proud heart strives to earn
salvation; but both our title to heaven and
our fitness for it are found in the righteous-
ness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing
toward the recovery of man until, convinced
of his own weakness, and stripped of all
self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the
control of God. Then he can receive the
gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the
soul that feels his need, nothing is with-
held. He has unrestricted access to Him
in whom all fullness dwells."—The
Desire
of Ages,
page 300.
God's Nature Illustrated
12.
To what familiar but powerful
element does Paul liken God? Heb.
12:29.
NorE.—It should be recognized that it is
dangerous to try to compare the Godhead
with earthly things. "God cannot be com-
[9]
FIRE RE PRESENTS ONE
ASPECT OF GOD'S CHARACTER.
tous-:
pared with the things His hands have made.
These are mere earthly things, suffering
under the curse of God because of the sins
of man. The Father cannot be described by
the things of earth. The Father is all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is in-
visible to mortal
sight."—Evangelism,
page
614.
13.
Through what experiences was
this aspect of God's nature revealed to
Moses and to the children of Israel?
Ex. 3:1-6; 13:21, 22.
14.
To what force in nature did
Jesus liken the workings of the Holy
Spirit, the Third Person of the God-
head? John 3:7, 8.
NoTE.—"Like the wind, which is invisible,
yet the effects of which are plainly seen and
felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon
the human heart. That regenerating power,
which no human eye can see, begets a new
life in the soul; it creates a new being in
the image of
God."—Steps to Christ
(1956
ed.), page 57.
"The wind is heard among the branches
of the trees, rustling the leaves and flowers;
yet it is invisible, and no man knows
whence it comes or whither it goes. So with
the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart.
It can no more be explained than can the
movements of the wind. . . . By an agency
as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly
working upon the heart."—The
Desire of
Ages,
page 172.
Questions for Meditation
1.
With how much knowledge concern-
ing God's nature should we be content?
(Deut. 29:29.)
2.
Since God is everywhere present, need
we ever feel lonely?
3.
What spiritual benefits are missed by
those who think of God merely as a force
instead of a person?
4.
Am I a true worshiper? (John 4:23,
24.)
"As an infinite spirit being, God is not
subject to the same limitations as finite
material beings, and consequently is not
so much concerned with visible places and
forms of worship as He is with the spirit
in which men worship
Him."—The Seventh-
day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5,
p. 941.
Lesson 3, for April 18, 1959
God's Ceaseless Work as Creator and Sustainer
MEMORY VERSE:
"Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and
stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out
of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that
walk therein."
"I
am the Lord: that is My name: and My glory will
I
not
give to another, neither My praise to graven images." Isa. 42:5, 8.
STUDY HELPS:
"The Ministry of Healing," pages 409-426; "The Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help in "Review and Her-
ald" of April
2.
[ 10 ]
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions 11-13.
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 4-7.
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God as the Creator
1.
The entire Godhead shared in crea-
tion. Ex. 20:11; Job 33:4 ; John 1:
1-3; Col. 1:13, 15, 16; Heb. 1:2.
2.
The method of creation. Ps. 33:6, 9;
Heb. 11:3.
3.
Creation distinguishes the true God
from the false. 1 Chron. 16:26; Isa.
40:18, 25, 26; Rev. 4:11.
II. God as Provider of Temporal Neces-
sities
4.
God supplies every need. Acts 17:
24, 25, 28.
5.
He waters the earth. Job 38:25-28;
Ps. 147:7, 8; Amos 5:7, 8.
6.
He cares for mankind. Matt. 6:
25-34.
7.
He fed Elijah miraculously. 1 Kings
17:8, 9, 14-16.
III. God as Provider of Spiritual Neces-
sities
8.
He supplied Israel's spiritual needs
in the wilderness. 1 Cor. 10:3, 4.
9.
He will give all needed blessings to
us. Phil. 4:19; Rom. 8:32.
10.
The Holy Spirit aids in spiritual
ministry to man. John 16:12-14.
11.
God uses men to supply spiritual
needs of others. Acts 10:1-6, 9-20,
28.
12.
God satisfied the needs of the Ethi-
opian. Acts 8:26-35.
13.
God cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7.
THE LESSON
Introduction
It is important that we recognize God not
only as the One who made us, but also as the
Being who is continually engaged in up-
holding His creation. We must understand
that He has not left the earth to run itself,
but that He has a personal interest in that
which He has made.
"Thousands become infidels because their
finite minds cannot comprehend the mys-
teries of God. They cannot explain the won-
derful exhibition of divine power in His
providences, therefore they reject the evi-
dences of such power, attributing them to
natural agencies which they can compre-
hend still less. The only key to the mysteries
that surround us is to acknowledge in them
all the presence and power of God. Men
need to recognize God as the Creator of the
universe, One who commands and executes
all things. They need a broader view of
His character, and of the mystery of His
agencies."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 606.
God as the Creator
1. Aside from the Genesis record,
how do we know that the entire God-
head took part in the work of crea-
tion? Ex. 20:11; Job 33:4; John 1:1-3;
Col. 1:13, 15, 16; Heb. 1:2.
Non.—"The Sovereign of the universe
was not alone in His work of beneficence.
He had an associate,—a co-worker who
could appreciate His purposes, and could
share His joy in giving happiness to created
beings. 'In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning
with God.' John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word,
the Only Begotten of God, was one with
the eternal Father,—one in nature, in char-
acter, in purpose,—the only being that
could enter into all the counsels and pur-
poses of God. . . . The Father wrought by
His Son in the creation of all heavenly
beings."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 34.
"The Spirit of God has the role of the
divine Agent of God in all creative acts,
whether of the earth, of nature, of the
church, of the new life, or of the new man.
. This divine Agent has ever been present
to assist in the work of creation and re-
demption."—The
Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary, vol.
1, p. 209.
2.
How did God create the uni-
verse? Ps. 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:3.
NOTE.—"In the creation of the earth, God
was not indebted to pre-existing matter.
`He spake, and it was; . . . He commanded,
and it stood fast' Psalm 33:9. All things,
material or spiritual, stood up before the
Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created
for His own purpose. The heavens and all
the host of them, the earth and all things
therein, came into existence by the breath
of His mouth."—The
Ministry of Healing,
pages 414, 415.
3.
What distinguishes the true God
from all other gods? 1 Chron. 16:26;
Isa. 40:18, 25, 26. Compare Rev. 4:
11.
NoTE.—"The duty to worship God is
based upon the fact that He is the Creator
and that to Him all other beings owe their
existence. And wherever, in the Bible, His
claim to reverence and worship, above the
gods of the heathen, is presented, there is
cited the evidence of His creative power.
`All the gods of the nations are idols: but
the Lord made the heavens.' Psalm 96:5.
. And the holy beings who worship God
in heaven state, as the reason why their
homage is due to Him: 'Thou art worthy,
0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and
power: for Thou hast created all things'
Revelation
4:11."—The Great Controversy,
pages 436, 437.
God as Provider of Temporal
Necessities
4.
What did the apostle Paul de-
dare about our dependence upon God
for temporal needs and even for life
itself? Acts 17:24, 25, 28,
NoTE.—"It is not as the result of a
mechanism, which, once set in motion, con-
tinues its work, that the pulse beats and
breath follows breath. In God we live and
move and have our being. The beating
heart, the throbbing pulse, every nerve and
muscle in the living organism, is kept in
order and activity by the power of an ever-
present God."—The
Ministry of Healing,
page 417.
5.
What evidence do we have in
nature of God's care for the earth?
Job 38:25-28; Ps. 147:7, 8; Amos 5:
7, 8.
NorE.—"Our Father in heaven is the
source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look
at the wonderful and beautiful things of
nature. Think of their marvelous adapta-
tion to the needs and happiness, not only
of man, but of all living creatures. The sun-
shine and the rain, that gladden and re-
fresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains,
all speak to us of the Creator's love. It is
God who supplies the daily needs of all
His creatures."—Steps
to Christ
(1956 ed.),
page 9.
6.
What lesson should man learn
from the way God provides for the
vegetable and animal creation? Matt.
6:25-34.
NorE.—"The great Provider for man and
beast opens His hand and supplies all His
creatures. The birds of the air are not be-
neath His notice. He does not drop the food
into their bills, but He makes provision for
their needs. They must gather the grains He
has scattered for them. They must prepare
the material for their little nests. They must
feed their young. They go forth singing to
their labor, for 'your heavenly Father feed-
eth them.' And 'are ye not much better
than they?' Are not you, as intelligent,
spiritual worshipers, of more value than the
birds of the air? Will not the Author of our
[12
1
BY NATURAL MEANS OR BY MIRACLES,
BOO SUPPLIES OUR NEEDS.
being, the Preserver of our life, the One who
formed us in His own divine image, provide
for our necessities if we but trust in Him?"
Steps to Christ,
page 123.
7.
During a period of drought in
Israel, in what unusual way did the
Lord provide for Elijah?
1
Kings 17:
8, 9, 14-16.
NOTE.—When the situation demands it
and when His wisdom determines it best,
God will provide for His people through
miraculous means.
God as Provider of Spiritual
Necessities
8.
In addition to supplying their
physical necessities, what did God
provide for the children of Israel in
the wilderness?
1 Cor.
10:3, 4.
9.
How completely will God satisfy
our physical and spiritual needs? Phil.
4:19; Rom. 8:32.
NOTE.—"It was the Maker of all things
who ordained the wonderful adaptation of
means to end, of supply to need, It was He
who in the material world provided that
every desire implanted should be met. It
was He who created the human soul, with
its capacity for knowing and for loving.
And He is not in Himself such as to leave
the demands of the soul unsatisfied."—
Education,
page 133.
10.
What is the Holy Spirit's part
in providing us with spiritual suste-
nance? John 16:12-14.
NorE.—"Christ has promised the gift of
the Holy Spirit to His church, and the
promise belongs to us as much as to the first
disciples. But like every other promise, it
is given on conditions. There are many
who believe and profess to claim the Lord's
promise; they talk
about
Christ and
about
the Holy Spirit,
yet
receive no benefit. They
do not surrender the soul to be guided and
controlled by the divine agencies. We can-
not use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to
use us. Through the Spirit God works in
His people 'to will and to do of His good
pleasure.' Phil. 2:13. . . . This promised
blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other
blessings in its train. It is given accord-
ing to the riches of the grace of Christ, and
He is ready to supply every soul accord-
ing to the capacity to receive."—The
De-
sire of Ages,
page 672.
11.
Through what means did God
work to satisfy Cornelius's desire for
truth? Acts 10:1-6, 9-20, 28.
12.
In what way did God answer
the Ethiopian's desire for light? Acts
8:26-35.
NOTE.—"We are to be consecrated chan-
nels, through which the heavenly life is to
flow to others. The Holy Spirit is to ani-
mate and pervade the whole church, puri-
fying and cementing
hearts."—Testimonies,
vol. 9, p. 20.
13.
Why can we safely trust God
for every temporal and spiritual need?
1 Peter 5:7.
[ 13 ]
Questions for Meditation
1.
What difference does it make in our
life when we think of God as One who is
continually engaged in supplying the needs
of His creatures rather than as an absentee
landlord?
2.
What does worry indicate about our
knowledge of God?
3.
Which is most nearly correct?
a.. God will make provision for all our
needs without any effort on our part.
b.
God expects us to do all we can to
feed our physical and spiritual na-
tures, and when we do He will see
that we do not lack.
c.
God has given us the tools to work
with and He expects us to provide
for ourselves without His help.
Lesson 4, for April 25, 1959
God's Perfect Character
MEMORY VERSE:
"And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord,
The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in good-
ness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and trans-
gression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." Ex. 34:6, 7.
STUDY HELPS:
"Steps to Christ," pages 9-15 (1956 and pocket eds.); pages 9-18
(1908 ed.); "The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts;
Lesson Help in "Review and Herald" of April 9.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Sabbath afternoon: Survey
entire lesson.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
Monday: Questions 5-8.
Tuesday: Questions 9-11.
Check
Here
Check
Here
Wednesday: Questions
12,
13; read
from Study Helps.
Thursday: Read further from Study
Helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God Is Love
1.
His nature is love. 1 John 4:8, 16.
2.
His lqve is everlasting. Jer. 31:3.
3.
His love is greater than human love.
Isa. 49:15, 16.
4.
Demonstrated in Christ. John 3:16;
Rom. 5:8.
5.
Nothing can separate us from His
love. Rom. 8:38, 39.
II. God's Mercy and Forgiveness
6.
He is plenteous in mercy. Ps. 86:5;
103:8.
7.
His mercy endures forever. 1 Chron.
16:34; Ps. 103:17; 138:8.
8. His mercy revealed through forgive-
ness. Micah 7:18, 19.
9. Man's part in obtaining mercy. Ex.
20:6; Isa. 55:7.
III. The Long-Suffering of God
10. Mercy and forgiveness of God. Ex.
34:6; Ps. 86:15.
11. Christ's second coming delayed be-
cause He
.
is long-suffering. 2 Peter
3:9, 15.
IV. God's Unchangeableness
12. His nature is unchanging. Mal. 3:6;
James 1:17.
13. Inspires confidence in Him. Heb. 7:
24, 25; 13:8; 4:16.
14
THE LESSON
Introduction
The character of God is one of the themes
that we as Christians are urged to study.
"The character of God, His love manifested
in giving His Son to die for the world, and
the beauty of holiness, are exalted themes
for contemplation. These will strengthen the
intellect, and bring man into close com-
munion with the Infinite
One."—Funda-
mentals of Christian Education,
page 49.
God Is Love
1.
With what supreme characteris-
tic is God identified? 1 John 4:8, 16.
NOTE.-"
'God is love.' His nature, His
law, is love. It ever has been ; it ever will
be. . . . Every manifestation of creative
power is an expression of infinite love. . . .
The history of the great conflict between
good and evil, from the time it first began
in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion
and the total eradication of sin, is also a
demonstration of God's unchanging love."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 33.
2.
What quality of God's love
should give us great courage? Jer.
31:3.
NorE.—"While the sinner is yet far from
the Father's house, wasting his substance in
a strange country, the Father's heart is
yearning over him; and every longing
awakened in the soul to return to God is
but the tender pleading of His Spirit, woo-
ing, entreating, drawing the wanderer to
his Father's heart of
love."—Steps to Christ
(1956 ed.), page 54.
3.
By what illustration does God
help us to understand His love for
mankind? Isa. 49:15, 16.
NoTE.—"Parents love their children, but
the love of God is larger, broader, deeper
than human love can possibly be. It is im-
measurable."—Christ's
Object Lessons
(1941 ed.), page 142.
4.
In what way has God demon-
strated His love for us? John 3:16;
Rom. 5:8.
NoTE.—"Nothing less than the infinite
sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen
man could express the Father's love to lost
humanity."
"But this great sacrifice was not made in
order to create in the Father's heart a love
for man, not to make Him willing to save.
No, no ! . . The Father loves us, not be-
cause of the great propitiation, but He pro-
vided the propitiation because He loves us.
Christ was the medium through which He
could pour out His infinite love upon a
fallen world. 'God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto Himself.' 2 Corinthians 5:
19. God suffered with His Son. In the
agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary,
the heart of Infinite Love paid the price
of our redemption."—Steps
to Christ,
pages 14, 13.
5.
How did Paul describe the su-
premacy of God's love as manifested
through Christ? Rom. 8:38, 39.
NOTE.-"All
the paternal love which has
come down from generation to generation
through the channel of human hearts, all
the springs of tenderness which have opened
in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill
to the boundless ocean when compared with
the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue
cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You
may meditate upon it every day of your
life; you may search the Scriptures diligently
in order to understand it; you may summon
every power and capability that God has
given you, in the endeavor to comprehend
the love and compassion of the heavenly
Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond.
You may study that love for ages; yet you
can never fully comprehend the length and
the breadth, the depth and the height, of the
love of God in giving His Son to die for
the world. Eternity itself can never fully
reveal
it."—Testimonies, vol. 5,
p. 740.
[15]
God's Mercy and Forgiveness
6.
In what wonderful characteristic
is God said to be "plenteous"? Ps.
86:5; 103:8.
7.
Of what duration is God's
mercy? 1 Chron. 16:34; Ps. 103:17;
138:8.
8.
What is one way in which God's
mercy is revealed toward us? Micah
7:18, 19.
9.
On what condition will God
show mercy toward sinners and for-
give their transgressions? Ex. 20:6;
Isa. 55:7.
NOTE .—"Let none deceive themselves with
the thought that God, in His great love and
mercy, will yet save even the rejecters of
His grace. The exceeding sinfulness of
sin can be estimated only in the light of
the cross."—Steps
to Christ,
page 31.
"Through Jesus, God's mercy was mani-
fested to men; but mercy does not set aside
justice....
"By His life and His death, Christ proved
that God's justice did not destroy His mercy,
but that sin could be forgiven, and that the
law is righteous, and can be perfectly
obeyed." "The rejecters of His mercy reap
that which they have sown."—The
Desire
of Ages,
pages 762, 764.
The Long-Suffering of God
10.
What trait of God's character is
closely associated with His mercy and
forgiveness? Ex. 34:6; Ps. 86:15.
NOTE.—"The God whom we serve is long-
suffering; 'His compassions fail not.' Lam.
3:22. Throughout the period of probation-
ary time, His Spirit is entreating men to
accept the gift of life. . . . It is Satan's
special device to lead man into sin, and
then leave him there, helpless and hopeless,
fearing to seek for pardon. But God invites,
`Let him take hold of My strength, that he
may make peace with Me ; and he shall make
peace with Me.' Isa. 27:5. In Christ every
provision has been made, every encourage-
ment
offered."—Prophets and Kings,
pages
325, 326.
11.
In what way is God's long-suf-
fering related to the delay in Christ's
second coming? 2 Peter 3:9, 15.
NOTE.—"The forbearance of God has been
very great,—so great that when we con-
sider the continuous insult to His holy
commandments, we marvel. The Omnipo-
tent One has been exerting a restraining
power over His own attributes. But He
will certainly arise to punish the wicked,
who so boldly defy the just claims of the
Decalogue.
"God allows men a period of probation;
but there is a point beyond which divine
patience is exhausted, and the judgments of
God are sure to follow." "The end of God's
forbearance with those who persist in dis-
obedience, is approaching
rapidly."—Proph-
ets and Kings,
page 276.
[1e]
God's Unchangeableness
12.
Why can we be confident that
the Father is still a God of love—
merciful and ready to forgive? Mal.
3:6; James 1:17.
NOTE.—"The rainbow about the throne is
an assurance that God is true; that in Him
is no variableness, neither shadow of turn-
ing. We have sinned against Him and are
undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself
has put into our lips that most wonderful
of pleas: 'Do not abhor us, for Thy name's
sake, do not disgrace the throne of Thy
glory: remember, break not Thy covenant
with us.' Jeremiah 14:21. He has pledged
Himself to give heed to our cry when we
come to Him confessing our unworthiness
and sin. The honor of His throne is staked
for the fulfillment of His word to us."—
Testimonies,
vol. 8, p. 23.
13.
How does the unchangeable
nature of God serve as an anchor to
our spiritual hope? Heb. 7:24, 25;
13:8; 4:16.
NoTE.—"By His spotless life, His obedi-
ence, His death on the cross of Calvary,
Christ interceded for the lost race. And
now, not as a mere petitioner does the Cap-
tain of our salvation intercede for us, but
as a Conqueror claiming His victory. His
offering is complete, and as our Intercessor
He executes His self-appointed work, hold-
ing before God the censer containing His
own spotless merits and the prayers, con-
fessions, and thanksgiving of His people.
Perfumed with the fragrance of His right-
eousness, these ascend to God as a sweet
savor. The offering is wholly acceptable,
and pardon covers all transgression."—
Christ's Object Lessons
(1941 ed.), page 156.
Questions for Meditation
1.
Why is it wrong for me as a Christian
to be unkind and selfish? What command-
ment am I breaking when I thus misrepre-
sent God's character?
2.
Why is God's mercy of infinite im-
portance to us?
3.
What assurance does the knowledge of
God's unchangeableness give me in this
world of change and transition?
Lesson 5, for May 2, 1959
God's Perfect Character—Continued
MEMORY VERSE:
"And
they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the
song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God
Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not
fear Thee, 0 Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy." Rev.
15:3, 4.
STUDY HELPS:
"Early Writings," pages 69-71; "Testimonies," vol. 5, pp. 737-746;
"The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help
in "Review and Herald" of April 16.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions 11-13.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 5-7.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
[ 17 ]
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God Is Holy
1.
God's holiness should inspire wor-
ship. Ps. 99:5, 9.
2.
Isaiah humbled by vision of God.
Isa. 6:1-7.
3.
Man urged to emulate God's char-
acter. Lev. 19:2 ; Heb. 12:10, 14.
4.
Angels sing of God's holiness. Rev.
4:8; 15:4, first part.
II. God Is Just
5. The redeemed acknowledge God's
justice. Rev. 15:3.
6.
Abraham's confidence in God's jus-
tice. Gen. 18:25.
7.
God's ways compared with man's.
Ezek. 18:29.
8.
Moses sings of God's justice. Deut.
32:4.
9.
God deals impartially with men. 2
Chron. 19:7; 1 Peter 1:17.
10.
Christ declared to be the Just One.
Acts 3:14.
III. God Is Faithful
11.
God's faithfulness builds confidence
in His word. Deut. 7:9; Heb. 10:23.
12.
He will faithfully save all who come
to Him. 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Thess. 5:24.
13.
Faithfulness to be seen in His fol-
lowers. 1 Cor. 4:2 ; Rev. 2:10.
THE LESSON
Introduction
No amount of study of the character of
God can ever exhaust the subject. "The
years of eternity, as they roll, will bring
richer and still more glorious revelations of
God and of Christ. As knowledge is pro-
gressive, so will love, reverence, and happi-
ness increase. The more men learn of God,
the greater will be their admiration of His
character. As Jesus opens before them the
riches of redemption and the amazing
achievements in the great controversy with
Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with
more fervent devotion, and with more
rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold;
and ten thousand times ten thousand and
thousands of thousands of voices unite to
swell the mighty chorus of praise."-The
Great Controversy,
page 678.
God Is Holy
1. To what feature of God's charac-
ter did David call attention as a reason
why men should worship Him? Ps.
99:5, 9.
NoTE.-"Holiness is the foundation of
God's throne; sin is the opposite of holi-
ness; sin crucified the Son of God. If men
could see how hateful sin is, they would not
tolerate it, nor educate themselves in it. They
would reform in life and character."-Testi-
monies to Ministers,
page 145.
2.
When Isaiah was given a vision
of the holiness of God, what effect did
it have on him? What was done to
his sins? Isa. 6:1-7.
NOTE.-"As Isaiah beheld this revelation
of the glory and majesty of his Lord, he
was overwhelmed with a sense of the purity
and holiness of God. How sharp the con-
trast between the matchless perfection of
his Creator, and the sinful course of those
who, with himself, had long been numbered
among the chosen people of Israel and
Judah
l"-Prophets and Kings,
page 307.
3.
What standard has God set for
us to reach? Lev. 19:2; Heb. 12:10, 14.
NoTE.-"Holiness is not rapture: it is an
entire surrender of the will to God; it is
living by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God; it is doing the will of
our heavenly Father; it is trusting God in
trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it
is walking by faith and not by sight; it is
relying on God with unquestioning confi-
dence, and resting in His
love."-The Acts
of the Apostles,
page 51.
[ 18 ]
4.
What is the theme of the anthem
of praise offered by heavenly beings?
Rev. 4:8; 15:4, first part.
NOTE.—"Cleanse yourselves from all filth-
iness of the flesh and spirit. The crown-
ing glory of Christ's attributes is His
holiness. The angels bow before Him in ado-
ration, exclaiming, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God Almighty.' Revelation 4:8. He is de-
clared to be glorious in His holiness. Study
the character of God. By beholding Christ,
by seeking Him in faith and prayer, you
may become like
Him."—Counsels to
Teachers,
page 402.
God Is Just
5.
When the redeemed sing the
song of Moses and the Lamb, what will
they say concerning God's dealings
with mankind? Rev. 15:3.
NoTE.—"Every question of truth and
error in the long-standing controversy has
now been made plain. The results of re-
bellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine
statutes, have been laid open to the view
of all created intelligences. The working
out of Satan's rule in contrast with the
government of God has been presented to
the whole universe. Satan's own works
have condemned him. God's wisdom, His
justice, and His goodness stand fully vin-
dicated. It is seen that all His dealings in
the great controversy have been conducted
with respect to the eternal good of His
people and the good of all the worlds that
He has created. . . . With all the facts of
the great controversy in view, the whole
universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one
accord declare: 'Just and true are Thy ways,
Thou King of saints.'
"—The Great Con-
troversy,
pages 670, 671.
6.
When God revealed to Abraham
His plan to destroy Sodom, of what
was the patriarch convinced concern-
ing God's justice? Gen. 18:25.
NOTE.—"God alone is the Judge of al
men. Addressing Him thus, Abraham gives
evidence that he knew the One before whom
he stood to be the Supreme Being. Now he
appealed, not to God's grace and pardon,
but to His absolute judicial equity. This
principle had been demonstrated by God
in His extension of probation for the Amor-
ites another 400 years. Their iniquity was
`not yet full' (ch. 15:16). When God con-
sented to spare Sodom if only ten righteous
men could be found within its gates, He
followed the same principle."—The
Seventh-
day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol.
1,
p. 330.
7.
How does God compare His
ways with those of men? Ezek. 18:29.
8.
In what words did Moses pro-
claim the justice of God? Deut. 32:4.
NOTE.—"In all the dealings of God with
His people, there is, mingled with His love
and mercy, the most striking evidence of
His strict and impartial justice. This is
exemplified in the history of the Hebrew
people. God had bestowed great blessings
upon Israel. . . . And yet what swift and
severe retribution was visited upon them
for their transgressions
!"—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 469.
[ 19
9.
How is the impartiality and fair-
ness of God manifested? 2 Chron. 19:
7; 1 Peter 1:17.
NoTE.—"No distinction on account of
nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by
God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All
men are of one family by creation, and all
are one through redemption. Christ came
to demolish every wall of partition, to throw
open every compartment of the temple
courts, that every soul may have free access
to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so
full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts
out of Satan's influence those who have
been deluded by his deceptions, and places
them within reach of the throne of God,
the throne encircled by the rainbow of
promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor
Greek, bond nor
free."—Prophets and Kings,
pages 369, 370.
10.
Besides holiness, what other
divine trait of character was mani-
fested in the life of Christ? Acts 3:14.
God Is Faithful
11.
What trait of God's character
enables us to depend on the promises
contained in His word? Deut. 7:9;
Heb. 10:23.
12.
Why is God's faithfulness im-
portant to those who have accepted
the gospel invitation? 1 Cor. 1:9;
1 Thess. 5:24.
Nora.—There are many who accept God's
offer to become citizens in His kingdom.
Not all, however, will "endure unto the
end." Some will give up the struggle to
perfect the type of character necessary.
Looking at their own weakness, they become
discouraged and turn back into the world.
Those who recognize the faithfulness of God,
however, and who put their dependence in
His mighty power, will at last be numbered
among the overcomers. This can be the ex-
perience of all whb truly believe that "faith-
ful is He that calleth you, who also will
do it."
13.
What is expected in the lives
of Christ's followers? To what ex-
tent? 1 Cor. 4:2; Rev. 2:10.
Nora.—"The present is a season of solemn
privilege and sacred trust to the servants of
God. If these trusts are faithfully kept,
great will be the reward of the faithful
servant when the Master shall say: 'Give
an account of thy stewardship.' The ear-
nest toil, the unselfish work, the patient,
persevering effort, will be rewarded abun-
dantly; Jesus will say: Henceforth I call
you not servants, but friends, guests. The
approval of the Master is not given be-
cause of the greatness of the work per-
formed, because many things have been
gained, but because of the fidelity in even
a few things. It is not the great results we
attain, but the motives from which we act,
that weigh with God. He prizes goodness
and faithfulness more than the greatness
of the work
accomplished."—Testimonies,
vol. 2, pp. 510, 511.
Questions for Meditation
1.
If I truly know Christ, why will I not
claim to be perfect and holy?
2.
True or false? The rich and the poor
will be treated alike by God in the judgment.
3.
In what way is faithfulness important
in the following relations?
a.
My marriage.
b.
My agreements with others.
c.
My religious life.
Sabbath school lessons in Braille are supplied free to the blind upon
request. Address: The Christian Record Benevolent Association, Box 66,
Lincoln 6, Nebraska.
1201
Lesson 6, for May 9, 1959
God's Unsearchable Wisdom
MEMORY VERSE:
"Host thou not known? host thou not heard, that the everlast-
ing God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither
is weary? there is no searching of His understanding." Isa. 40:28.
STUDY HELPS:
"Prophets and Kings," pages 491-502, 551-558; "Fundamentals of
Christian Education," pages 181-185, 444-453; "The Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help in "Review and Herald" of
April 23.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey. 0
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
0
Monday: Questions 4-6.
0
Tuesday: Questions 7-9.
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 10-13.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
0
Friday: Read further from Study
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God's Wisdom Compared With Man's
1.
God's thoughts infinitely higher. Isa.
55:8, 9.
2.
Paul's response to God's wisdom.
Rom. 11:33.
3.
Man cannot search out God's wis-
dom. Ps. 147:5; Isa. 40:28.
II. God Knows All Things
4.
He sees the future. Isa. 42:8, 9; 46:
9, 10.
5.
He knows every secret. Ps. 44:21;
Dan. 2:47.
6.
He knows the personal life of each
individual. 1 Chron. 28:9; Ps. 139:
1-6, 14-16.
7. He knows the secrets of the atmos-
phere. Job 37:14-24.
8. He gives guidance to the animal
creation. Job 39:26-29.
III. God's Knowledge of His Creatures
9. He knows the needs of all His
creatures. Heb. 4:13.
10. He supplies the needs of all His
creatures. Ps. 104:21-28; Matt. 6:26.
11. He knows all about our needs. Matt.
10:29-31; Rom. 8:28.
IV. God's Wisdom Available
12. He will impart wisdom to us. James
1:5.
13. He will direct our lives. Prov. 3:
5, 6.
THE LESSON
This provides strong evidence to the de-
vout person that there is a Master Intelli-
gence back of the universe. It indicates that
there must be a God, who is the source of all
wisdom and knowledge, a God whose in-
tellectual might is infinite. This is the pic-
ture that the Bible presents concerning the
true God. Before this inscrutable mani-
festation of knowledge and wisdom, the de-
vout man bows in awe.
21
Introduction
The frontiers of knowledge are continually
being pressed back. Man is moving from
one discovery to another in such fields as
medicine, mathematics, astronomy, archae-
ology, chemistry, and electronics. The secrets
of the atom have been unlocked, and the
end of invention and research is not yet in
sight.
God's Wisdom Compared With
Man's
1.
What does God say of His
thoughts as compared with man's?
Isa. 55:8, 9.
NOTE.—"No finite mind can fully compre-
hend the existence, the power, the
wisdom,
or the works of the Infinite One. Says the
sacred writer: `Canst thou by searching
find out God? canst thou find out the Al-
mighty unto perfection? It is as high as
heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than
hell; what canst thou know? The measure
thereof is longer than the earth, and broader
than the sea.' Job 11:7-9. The mightiest
intellects of earth cannot comprehend God.
Men may be ever searching, ever learning,
and still there is an infinity beyond."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 116. (Italics
supplied.)
2.
As Paul contemplated God's
dealings with men, what exclamation
did he make concerning God's wis-
dom? Rom. 11:33.
NorE.—"If it were possible for created
beings to attain to a full understanding of
God and His works, then, having reached
this point, there would be for them no
further discovery of truth, no growth in
knowledge, no further development of mind
or heart. God would no longer be supreme;
and man, having reached the limit of
knowledge and attainment, would cease to
advance. Let us thank God that it is not so.
God is infinite; in Him are 'all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge.' Colossians 2:3.
And to all eternity men may be ever search-
ing, ever learning, and yet never exhaust the
treasures of His wisdom, His goodness, and
His power."—Steps
to Christ
(1956 ed.),
page 109.
3.
What is man unable to search
out? Ps. 147:5; Isa. 40:28.
NorE.—"God is the source of all wisdom.
He is infinitely wise and just and good. . . .
"If men could see for a moment beyond
the range of finite vision, if they could
catch a glimpse of the Eternal, every mouth
would be stopped in its boasting. Men
living in this little atom of a world are
finite; God has unnumbered worlds that
are obedient to His laws and are conducted
with reference to His glory. When men have
gone as far in scientific research as their
limited powers will permit, there is still an
infinity beyond what they can apprehend."
—Counsels to Teachers,
page 66.
God Knows All Things
4.
What is one of the evidences of
God's wisdom? Isa. 42:8, 9; 46:9, 10.
NOTE.—Only God is able to see the future.
What will take place during the coming
years is as well known to Him as the hap-
penings of yesterday. Then "let us trust
Him. Worry is blind and cannot discern
the future. But Jesus sees the end from
the beginning, and in every difficulty He has
His way prepared to bring
relief."—Testi-
monies, vol. 7,
p. 298.
5.
What is said concerning God's
knowledge of secrets? Ps. 44:21;
Dan. 2:27, 28.
6.
How much does God know about
each person and his activities? 1
Chron. 28:9; Ps. 139:1-6, 14-16.
NoTE.—"If we were to cherish an habitual
impression that God sees and hears all that
we do and say, and keeps a faithful record
of our words and actions, and that we must
meet it all, we would fear to sin. Let the
young ever remember that wherever they
are, and whatever they do, they are in the
presence of God. No part of our conduct
escapes observation. We cannot hide our
ways from the Most High. Human laws,
though sometimes severe, are often trans-
gressed without detection, and hence with
impunity. But not so with the law of God.
The deepest midnight is no cover for the
guilty one. He may, think himself alone;
but to every deed there is an unseen wit-
ness. The very motives of his heart are
[ 22 ]
GOD KNOWS THE SECRETS
¢9,9-G
OF HIS UNIVERSE.
open to divine inspection. Every act, every
word, every thought, is as distinctly marked
as though there were only one person in the
whole world, and the attention of heaven
were centered upon
him."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
pages 217, 218.
7.
With what phenomena of nature
is God familiar? Job 37:14-24.
8.
What is one way in which the
wisdom of God is manifested by the
creatures of His hand? Job 39:26-29.
NorE.—In Job, chapters 37 to 39, many
examples are given of God's wisdom as re-
vealed in nature, of which those relating to
the hawk and the eagle are typical. Every
phase of nature is fully understood by God,
for it is by His wisdom that He has created
all things, including the laws that govern
nature.
God's Knowledge of His Creatures
9.
How complete is God's knowl-
edge of the universe? Heb. 4:13.
10.
What does God provide for His
creatures? Ps. 104:21-28; Matt. 6:26.
11.
Why should we trust God to
care for us? Matt. 10:29-31; Rom. 8:
28.
NOTE.—"Though their present needs are
supplied, many are unwilling to trust God
for the future, and they are in constant anx-
iety lest poverty shall come upon them, and
their children shall be left to suffer. Some
are always anticipating evil, or magnifying
the difficulties that really exist, so that their
eyes are blinded to the many blessings which
demand their gratitude. The obstacles they
encounter, instead of leading them to seek
help from God, the only source of strength,
separate them from Him, because they
awaken unrest and repining.
"Do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why
should we be ungrateful and distrustful?
Jesus is our friend; alI heaven is interested
in our welfare."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
pages 293, 294.
God's Wisdom Available
12.
When we need wisdom, to what
source are we invited to go? James
1:5.
NOTE.—"The strength of those who love
and serve God will be renewed day by day.
The understanding of the Infinite is placed
at their service, that in carrying out His
purposes they may not err. . . . God is able
and willing to bestow upon His servants all
the strength they need and to give them the
wisdom that their varied necessities demand.
He will more than fulfill the highest ex-
pectations of those who put their trust in
Him."—The Acts of the Apostles,
page 242.
13.
On what condition has God
promised to direct our lives? Prov.
3:5, 6.
NorE.—"Entire trust in God is the only
logical position for Christians to take. God
has all knowledge and all power, and fore-
sees and prepares against all the troubles
that come upon man as sudden emergencies.
For anyone to rely on his own understand-
[237
ing under such circumstances is foolish in-
deed. It is also folly to alternate between
trust in self and trust in God.
"To place little confidence in one's own
understanding does not mean that a man
must lay aside intelligence and give up the
power of choice. Intelligence is needed to
determine from the word of God and from
God's guiding providences what is the divine
will. A will strengthened and cleansed by
God is needed if one is to follow a true
course through to the end.
"He shall direct.
Or, 'it is He who will
direct.' The Hebrew emphasizes that God
Himself will make straight and plain the
path of His servant, when His servant
acknowledges Him in every phase of life's
many activities."—The
Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Bible Commentary,
vol. 3, pp. 955,
956.
Questions for Meditation
1.
Since God could see the future and
knew that man would sin, why, do you
think, did He create man?
2.
What viewpoint must one maintain if
education and a continual search for knowl-
edge are to be a blessing instead of a curse?
3.
Why is God's leading so much more
remarkable in some lives than in others?
Lesson 7, for May 16, 1959
God's Universal Government
MEMORY VERSE:
"Thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory,
and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the
earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and Thou art exalted as head
above all." 1 Chron.
29:11.
STUDY HELPS:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 33-43; "Prophets and Kings,"
pages 514-521; "Testimonies," vol. 5, pp. 749-754; "The Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help in "Review and
Herald" of April 30.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions 12-14.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 5-8.
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 9-11.
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God Is a King
II.
1.
Worship due Him as King. Ps. 29:
2, 10; 47:2.
2.
He will reign forever. Ex. 15:18;
Ps. 10:16.
3.
He dwells in heaven. 1 Kings 8:30,
34; Ps. 123:1; Eccl.
5:2.
4.
His throne located in the heavenly
temple. Ps. 11:4; 102:19; Rev. 11:
19.
[ 24 ]
5.
Earthly temples cannot contain God.
1 Kings 8:27; Acts 17:24.
6.
God also dwells with men. Isa. 57:15.
The Kingdom of God
7.
His kingdom is founded on right-
eousness and judgment. Ps. 97:2,
margin; Heb. 1:8.
8.
It embraces the entire universe.
Deut. 10:14 ; Ps. 103 :19.
9.
The work of angels in God's govern-
ment. 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 139:7;
Matt. 18:10.
Ill. Earthly Governments Under God's
Control
10.
God rules by His own power. Ps.
66:7.
11.
Men receive authority from God.
Dan. 4:17.
12.
He ordains earthly governments.
Rom. 13:1-4.
13.
Allegiance due to both divine and
earthly governments. Matt. 22:21.
14.
God's government is supreme. Rev.
17:14; 12:13.
THE LESSON
NoTE.—"Heaven is a good place. I long
to be there, and behold my lovely Jesus,
who gave His life for me,
and be changed
into His glorious image. Oh, for language
to express the glory of the bright world to
come ! I thirst for the living streams that
make glad the city of our
God."—Early
Writings,
page 39.
"Language is altogether too feeble to at-
tempt a description of heaven. As the scene
rises before me, I am lost in amazement.
Carried away with the surpassing splendor
and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and
exclaim, 'Oh, what love ! what wondrous
love!' The most exalted language fails to
describe the glory of heaven or the match-
less depths of a Saviour's
love."--Ibid.,
p.
289.
4. Where in heaven is God's throne
located ? Ps. 11:4; 102:19; Rev. 11:19.
Introduction
The infinite God is King of kings and Lord
of lords. 1 Tim. 6:15. But if He is a king,
He must have a kingdom. He must also
have a government and laws by which He
rules His subjects. The Scriptures make this
very plain.
Before the foundation of the world, Luci-
fer endeavored to wrest from God control
of the government of the universe. He failed
in this attempt. God might have destroyed
him at once, but He did not because He
desired to "show what must be the fruit
of setting aside the divine authority."
Through this experience He would demon-
strate "that with the existence of God's
government is bound up the well-being of
all the creatures He has
made."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 43.
God Is a King
1.
Why should earth's inhabitants
give glory to God? Ps. 29:2, 10; 47:2.
NOTE.—"God is our Father, who loves
and cares for us as His children; He is also
the great King of the
universe."—Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing
(1956 ed.),
page 107.
2.
How long will God reign as
King? Ex. 15:18; Ps. 10:16.
3.
What term do Bible writers use
to describe the place where God
dwells? 1 Kings 8:30, 34; Ps. 123:1;
Eccl. 5:2.
5.
What do Solomon and Paul say
concerning the ability of temples to
contain God? 1 Kings 8:27; Acts 17:
24.
NOTE.—"Although God dwells not in
temples made with hands, yet He honors
with His presence the assemblies of His
people. He has promised that when they
come together to seek Him, to acknowledge
their sins, and to pray for one another, He
will meet with them by His Spirit. But
those who assemble to worship Him should
put away every evil thing. Unless they
worship Him in spirit and truth and in the
beauty of holiness, their coming together
will be of no
avail."—Prophets and Kings,
page 50.
6.
Although God dwells in heaven,
where else does He abide? Isa. 57:15.
[25
1
GOD'S
4:82
NoTE.—This text does not in any sense
minimize the greatness of God by stating
that He is able to dwell in human hearts
that are surrendered to His will. Rather,
it exalts Him, for it shows Him to be omni-
present by His Spirit. God continues to
rule the vast universe from His throne in
heaven while at the same time through His
Spirit He dwells with the humble believer.
No other god can do this.
The Kingdom of God
7.
On what principles has God
founded His government? Ps. 97:2,
margin; Heb. 1:8.
8.
Over how much territory does
God rule? Deut. 10:14; Ps. 103:19.
NOTE.—"God's government included not
only the inhabitants of heaven, but of all
the worlds that He had created."—Patri-
archs
and Prophets,
page 41. It is evident
that the government of God includes the
entire universe.
9.
In what way does God keep in
constant communication with all parts
of His kingdom? 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps.
139:7; Matt. 18:10.
NoTE.—"The Bible shows us God in His
high and holy place, not in a state of in-
activity, not in silence and solitude, but
surrounded by ten thousand times ten thou-
sand and thousands of thousands of holy
beings, all waiting to do His will. Through
these messengers He is in active communi-
cation with every part of His dominion.
By His Spirit He is everywhere present.
Through the agency of His Spirit and His
angels He ministers to the children of men."
—The Ministry of Healing,
page 417.
"The angels of God are ever passing
from earth to heaven, and from heaven to
earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted
and suffering were wrought by the power
of God through the ministration of the
angels. And it is through Christ, by the
ministration of His heavenly messengers,
UNIVERSAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.
2.039
wac..n moss.
that every blessing comes from. God to us.
In taking upon Himself humanity, our
Saviour unites His interests with those of
the fallen sons and daughters of Adam,
while through His divinity He grasps the
throne of God. And thus Christ is the
medium of communication of men with God,
and of God with
men."—The Desire of
Ages,
page 143.
Earthly Governments Under God's
Control
10.
By what power does God rule?
Ps. 66:7.
NoTE.—"He ruleth by His power for-
ever." Only God is responsible to Himself
alone.
11.
From whom do earthly rulers
receive their kingdoms? Dan 4:17.
NOTE.—"In the annals of human history
the growth of nations, the rise and fall of
empires, appear as dependent on the will
and prowess of man. The shaping of events
seems, to a great degree, to be determined
by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in
the word of God the curtain is drawn aside,
and we behold, behind, above, and through
all the play and counterplay of human in-
terests and power and passions, the agencies
[ 26 ]
of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently
working out the counsels of His own will."
—Education,
page 173.
12.
Why are we counseled to submit
ourselves to earthly governments?
Rom. 13:1-4.
13.
What did Jesus say about our
allegiance to divine and earthly
governments? Matt. 22:21.
14.
In Satan's attempt to destroy
God's people before Christ's return,
against whom is he actually making
war? Rev. 17:14; 12:13.
NorE.—In seeking to destroy God's peo-
ple, Satan believes that he can thus be-
come the undisputed ruler of this world,
with no one to resist his authority. But
he fails to recognize that God still controls
this earth. Jesus is with His people, and
fights for them, overcoming Satan and his
hosts. God's government remains supreme.
Questions for Meditation
1.
If we were always sharply conscious
of the fact that angels are taking to heaven
a record of our lives, would we live differ-
ently?
2.
When there is a conflict between the
government of God and my civil govern-
ment, what principle should guide me in
my allegiance?
3.
As the great controversy draws to a
close, what will determine loyalty to God's
government?
Lesson 8, for May 23, 1959
God's Immutable Law
MEMORY VERSE:
"For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the
flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be ful-
filled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:3,
4.
STUDY HELPS:
"Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing" 1956 ed., pp. 45-52 (1943
ed., pages 73-83); "The Great Controversy," pages 492-504 (1950 subscrip-
tion ed., pp. 487-498); "Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 363-373; "The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help in
"Review and Herald" of May 7.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
Monday: Questions 5-7.
Tuesday: Questions 8-11.
Cheek Here
Wednesday: Questions 12-14.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Friday: Read further from Study
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. Nature of God's Law
1. Based on love. Rom. 13:10.
[ 27
2.
Requires love to God and man.
Matt. 22:37-40.
3.
Perfect. Ps.
19:7.
4.
Holy, just, good, and spiritual.
(
Rom.
7:12, 14.
5.
Eternal. Ps. 111:7, 8; Matt. 5:17, 18.
6.
Immutable. Ps.
89:34.
II. Purpose of God's Law
7.
To reveal His will to man. Ps. 40:8;
Rom. 2:18.
8.
To point out sin. Rom. 3:20; 7:7.
9.
To serve as the standard of judg-
ment. Eccl. 12:13, 14; James 2:12.
III. Man's Relation to God's Law
10. The righteous will obey it. John
14:15; 1 John 5:3.
11.
Obeying it brings peace. Ps. 119:
165; Jer. 7:23.
12.
Warnings against breaking it. Matt.
5:17-19; Rev. 22:18, 19.
13.
Can be kept through Christ. Rom.
8:3, 4; Heb. 8:10.
14.
The obedient will enter heaven.
Matt. 7:21; Rev. 14:12.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"There can be no government without
law."-Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 49.
Thus, since God is King of the universe, and
since He reigns over all, He must have a
law by which to rule. That law is spoken
of in the Scriptures as the royal law. James
2:8. It is "the foundation of His [God's]
government in heaven and on earth."-Steps
to Christ
(1956 ed.), page 24.
"The law of God is as sacred as Himself.
It is a revelation of His will, a transcript
of His character, the expression of divine
love and wisdom. The harmony of creation
depends upon the perfect conformity of
all beings, of everything, animate and in-
animate, to the law of the Creator. God
has ordained laws for the government, not
only of living beings, but of all the opera-
tions of nature. Everything is under fixed
laws, which cannot be disregarded. But
while everything in nature is governed by
natural laws, man alone, of all that in-
habits the earth, is amenable to moral law."
-Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 52. This
moral law, the Ten Commandments, is the
subject of our study this week.
Nature of God's Law
1. What attribute of God's charac-
ter forms the basis of His law? Rom.
13:10.
NoTE.-"The law given upon Sinai was
the enunciation of the principle of love, a
revelation to earth of the law of heaven."
-Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing
(1956 ed.), page 46.
2.
According to Jesus, what two
commandments summarize the divine
law? Matt. 22:37-40.
NorE.-As a means of helping men see
that law-keeping necessitates a demonstra-
tion of love, Christ told the story of the
good Samaritan. "The Samaritan had
obeyed the dictates of a kind and loving
heart, and in this had proved himself a
doer of the law. Christ bade the lawyer,
'Go, and do thou likewise.' Doing, and not
saying merely, is expected of the children of
God. 'He that saith he abideth in Him
ought himself also so to walk, even as He
walked.' 1 John
2:6."-The Desire of Ages,
page 504.
3.
How do we know that God's law
cannot be improved? Ps. 19:7.
NOTE.-"Since 'the law of the Lord is
perfect,' every variation from it must be
evil."-The Desire of Ages,
page 308. "From
the first, the great controversy had been
upon the law of God. Satan had sought
to prove that God was unjust, that His law
was faulty, and that the good of the uni-
verse required it to be changed. In attack-
ing the law, he aimed to overthrow the
authority of its Author. In the contro-
versy it was to be shown whether the divine
statutes were defective and subject to
change, or perfect and
immutable."-Patri-
archs and Prophets,
page 69.
4.
What characteristics does Paul
ascribe to the law? Rom. 7:12, 14.
[281
5.
For how long will the law en-
dure? Ps. 111:7, 8; Matt. 5:17, 18.
NoTE.—Here He teaches, not merely what
the claims of God's law had been, and were
then, but that these claims should hold as
long as the heavens and the earth remain.
The law of God is as immutable as His
throne. It will maintain its claims upon
mankind in all
ages."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 365.
6.
How may we be certain that
God's law will not be changed? Ps.
89:34.
NorE.—"The law of God, from its very
nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation
of the will and the character of its Author.
God is love, and His law is love. Its two
great principles are love to God and love
to man. . . . Such a law, being an ex-
pression of the mind and will of God, must
be as enduring as its Author."—The
Great
Controversy,
page 467.
Purpose of God's Law
7.
What essential information does
God's law impart to mankind? Ps.
40:8; Rom. 2:18.
NOTE.—God's will is revealed through
His law. •When we disobey the law, we re-
ject His will for us. It is not the greatness
of the act of disobedience that constitutes
sin, but the fact of variance from God's
expressed will in the least particular; for
this shows that there is yet communion
between the soul and sin. The heart is
divided in its service. There is a virtual de-
nial of God, a rebellion against the laws
of His government. . . .
"Whenever men choose their own way,
they place themselves in controversy with
God. . . . In disregarding the will of God,
they are placing themselves on the side of
Satan, the enemy of God and man."—
Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing
(1956 ed.), pages 51, 52.
8.
Besides being a revelation of
God's will for man, what other im-
portant purpose does the law serve?
Rom. 3:20; 7:7.
NOTE.—"The law reveals to man his sins,
but it provides no remedy. While it promises
life to the obedient, it declares that death
is the portion of the transgressor. The
gospel of Christ alone can free him from
the condemnation or the defilement of sin.
. . . Without the law, men have no just
conception of the purity and holiness of
God or of their own guilt and uncleanness.
They have no true conviction of sin and
feel no need of repentance. Not seeing their
lost condition as violators of God's law,
they do not realize their need of the aton-
ing blood of Christ."—The
Great Contro-
versy,
pages 467, 468.
9.
By what standard will our lives
be measured in the judgment? Eccl.
12:13, 14; James 2:12.
NOTE.—"The written word, the law of
God, will measure the character of every
man and condemn all whom this unerring
test shall declare wanting."—The
Great
Controversy,
page 268.
Man's Relation to God's Law
10.
What relation to His law will
be sustained by those who claim to
love God? John 14:15; 1 John 5:3.
129
]
NorE.—"There are only two classes in the
world today, and only two classes will be
recognized in the judgment—those who vio-
late God's law and those who obey it. Christ
gives the test by which to prove our loyalty
or disloyalty. 'If ye love Me,' He says,
`keep My commandments.... He that hath
My commandments, and keepeth them, he
it is that loveth
Me.' "—Christ's Object
Lessons
(1941 ed.), page 283.
11.
What blessing will be given on
this earth to those who obey God's
law? Ps. 119:165; Jer. 7:23.
12.
What warning is issued against
all who might willfully break the law
and encourage others to disobey it?
Matt. 5:17-19; Rev. 22:18, 19.
NOTE.—"Such are the warnings which
God has given to guard men against chang-
ing in any manner that which He has re-
vealed or commanded. These solemn denun-
ciations apply to all who by their influence
lead men to regard lightly the law of God.
They should cause those to fear and tremble
who flippantly declare it a matter of little
consequence whether we obey God's law or
not. All who exalt their own opinions above
divine revelation, all who would change
the plain meaning of Scripture to suit their
own convenience, or for the sake of con-
forming to the world, are taking upon them-
selves a fearful responsibility."—The
Great
Controversy,
page 268.
13.
What provision has been made
to enable men to obey the moral law?
Rom. 8:3, 4; Heb. 8:10.
NOTE.—"The same law that was engraved
upon the tables of stone, is written by the
Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. In-
stead of going about to establish our own
righteousness, we accept the righteousness
of Christ. His blood atones for our sins.
His obedience is accepted for us. Then the
heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring
forth 'the fruits of the Spirit.' Through
the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience
to the law of God written upon our hearts."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 372.
14.
Who will be chosen as subjects
of God's eternal kingdom? Matt. 7:
21; Rev. 14:12.
Questions for Meditation
1.
We know that suffering follows the
violation of natural law. Is this also true
with the moral law?
2.
Since the law is spiritual, what will it
do for me if I embrace it? If I reject it?
3.
Will the righteous be admitted to
heaven as a reward for obedience, or will
this experience be granted because through
faith they have demonstrated their harmony
with God's principles by obedience?
Lesson 9, for May 30, 1959
God's Sacred Name
MEMORY VERSE:
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My
God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My
God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which
cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new
name." Rev. 3:12.
STUDY HELPS:
"The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," vol. 1, pp. 170-
173; "Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 303-314; Lesson Help in "Review and
Herald" of May 14.
[301
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
0
Wednesday: Questions 12-14.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
0
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
0
Monday: Questions 5-8.
0
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 9-11.
Helps; review entire lesson.
0
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. Sacred Nature and Greatness of God's
Name
1.
God's name is holy and reverend.
Ps. 99:3; 111:9.
2.
It will endure forever. Ps. 135:13.
3.
It reveals His character. Ex. 3:13,
14; 34:14; Isa. 1:4; 57:15.
4.
Why it should be praised. Ps. 148:5,
13.
5.
Worthy of continual praise. Ps. 34:
1; 113:3.
II. Man's Attitude Toward God's Name
6. Warning against careless use. Ex.
20:7.
7.
God's name to be hallowed. Matt.
6:9.
8.
Blasphemy punished by death. Lev.
24:10-16.
9.
Jews shocked at Christ's claim. John
8:58, 59; 10:33.
10.
Man to glorify and reverence God's
name. 1 Chron. 16:25-29; Ps. 95:
1-6.
III. God's Name and Salvation
11.
Salvation in His name. Acts 4:12 ;
Matt. 28:19.
12.
Christ's name to be exalted. Eph.
1:17-23 ; Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 19:16.
13.
We are to pray in the name of Jesus.
John 16:23, 24.
14.
His name to be given to redeemed.
Rev. 3:12; 14:1; 22:4.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"Since names meant so much to the Semite
mind, it was important for Moses to re-
veal to his people the true nature of their
God, who was now ready to deliver them
from bondage....
"God therefore revealed to Moses, or
rather explained to him,
the name by which
He had made Himself known to Abraham
at the making of the covenant (Gen. 15:7).
In Hebrew as in English, this name is a
form of the verb 'to be,' and implies that
its possessor is the eternal, self-existing One.
. Its all-embracing universality precluded
any comparison of the God of the Israelites
to the deities of Egypt and other nations.
It was designed to provide Moses and his
people with strong consolation in their
affliction and powerful support for their
confidence in the realization of His purpose
to deliver them....
"From the Hebrew word translated as
'I am' comes the derived form
Y ahweh. . . .
The R.V. of 1885 and A.S.V. of 1901 trans-
literate
Yahweh
as 'Jehovah.' To the Jews
this has ever been the sacred name by which
the true God is distinguished from all false
gods."-The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, vol.
1, p. 511.
Sacred Nature and Greatness of
God's Name
1.
What characteristics does David
ascribe to God's name? Ps. 99:3;
111:9.
2.
For how long will God's name
endure? Ps. 135:13.
NOTE.-Behind the simple statement that
God's name will endure forever are other
profound truths. His name will endure be-
[ 31 ]
IN ISRAEL BLASPHEMY WAS
PUNISHED BY STONING.
50.2
cause He Himself is from everlasting to
everlasting. And His name will not change,
for He Himself is unchanging. He is the
same yesterday, today, and forever.
3.
What are some of the names that
God uses to represent His character to
mankind? Ex. 3:13, 14; 34:14; Isa.
1:4; 57:15.
4.
Why should we praise God's
name? Ps. 148:5, 13.
5.
When is it appropriate to praise
God? Ps. 34:1; 113:3. Compare Ps.
150.
NOTE.—God does not expect that we shall
repeat His name over and over like a chant.
We can praise Him from the heart without
giving audible expression to our feelings,
and we can bring praise to His name by
revealing His character to others.
Man's Attitude Toward God's Name
6.
What warning concerning the
careless use of God's name is contained
in the third commandment of the
Decalogue? Ex. 20:7.
NorE.—"This commandment not only
prohibits false oaths and common swearing,
but it forbids us to use the name of God
in a light or careless manner, without re-
gard to its awful significance. By the
thoughtless mention of God in common con-
versation, by appeals to Him in trivial mat-
ters, and by the frequent and thoughtless
repetition of His name, we dishonor Him.
`Holy and reverend is His name.' Psalm
111:
9. All should meditate upon His majesty, His
purity and holiness, that the heart may be
impressed with a sense of His exalted char-
acter; and His holy name should be uttered
with reverence and
solemnity."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
pages 306, 307.
7.
In the Lord's Prayer, how is the
sacredness of God's name expressed?
Matt. 6:9.
NorE.—"To hallow the name 'of the Lord
requires that the words in which we speak
of the Supreme Being be uttered with rev-
erence. . . . We are never in any manner to
treat lightly the titles or appellations of the
Deity. In prayer we enter the audience
chamber of the Most High ; and we should
come before Him with holy awe. The angels
veil their faces in His presence. The cheru-
bim and the bright and holy seraphim ap-
proach His throne with solemn reverence.
How much more should we, finite, sinful
beings, come in a reverent manner before
the Lord, our Maker
!"—Thoughts From the
Mount of Blessing
(1956 ed.), page 106.
8.
In ancient times, how did God
show the serious nature of blasphemy?
Lev. 24:10-16.
NOTE.—"Both love and justice require it
to be shown that utterances prompted by
malice against God are a great sin. The
retribution visited upon the first offender
would be a warning to others, that God's
name is to be held in reverence. But had
this man's sin been permitted to pass un-
punished, others would have been demoral-
ized; and as the result, many lives must
eventually have been sacrificed. . . . The
sins of blasphemy and willful Sabbathbreak-
ing received the same punishment, being
equally an expression of contempt for the
authority of
God."—Patriarchs and Proph-
ets,
pages 408, 409.
32
9.
What was the reaction of the
Jews when Christ claimed one of the
titles belonging to Deity? John 8:58,
59; 10:33.
NoTE.—"Silence fell upon the vast as-
sembly. The name of God, given to Moses
to express the idea of the eternal presence,
had been claimed as His own by this Gal-
ilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to
be the self-existent One, He who had been
promised to Israel, 'whose goings forth
have been from of old, from the days of
eternity.' Micah 5:2, margin."—The
De-
sire of Ages,
pages 469, 470.
10.
What attitude should we as-
sume when we come into the presence
of God in prayer? Why? 1 Chron.
16:25-29; Ps. 95:1-6.
NcrrE.---"I saw that God's holy name
should be used with reverence and awe.
The words God Almighty are coupled to-
gether and used by some in prayer in a
careless, thoughtless manner, which is dis-
pleasing to Him. Such have no realizing
sense of God or the truth, or they would
not speak so irreverently of the great and
dreadful God, who is soon to judge them
in the last day. Said the angel, 'Couple
them not together; for fearful is His name.'
Those who realize the greatness and majesty
of - God, will take His name on their lips
with holy awe. He dwelleth in light un-
approachable; no man can see Him and
live. I saw that these things will have to be
understood and corrected before the church
can prosper."—Early
Writings,
page 122.
God's Name and Salvation
11.
How important is the divine
name in God's plan for saving men?
Acts 4:12; Matt. 28:19.
NoTE.—"Christ has made baptism the sign
of entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He
has made this a positive condition with
which all must comply who wish to be
acknowledged as under the authority of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Be-
fore man can find a home in the church,
before passing the threshold of God's
spiritual kingdom, he is to receive the im-
press of the divine name,
'The Lord our
Righteousness.'
Jeremiah 23:6." —
Testi-
monies,
vol. 6, p. 91.
12.
Because of Christ's unselfish
part in the plan of salvation, how will
His name be honored? Eph. 1:17-23;
Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 19:16.
NoTE.—"Before the universe has been
clearly presented the great sacrifice made by
the Father and the Son in man's behalf. The
hour has come when Christ occupies His
rightful position and is glorified above
principalities and powers and every name
that is named. It was for the joy that
was set before Him—that He might bring
many sons unto glory—that He endured the
cross and despised the shame. And in-
conceivably great as was the sorrow and the
shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory."
—The Great Controversy,
page 671.
13.
In whose name is the Christian
to present his petition to the Father?
John 16:23, 24.
NOTE.—"To pray in the name of Jesus
is something more than a mere mention of
that name at the beginning and the ending
of a prayer. It is to pray in the mind and
spirit of Jesus, while we believe His
promises, rely upon His grace, and work
His
works."—Steps to Christ
(1956 ed.),
pages 100, 101.
14.
What wonderful promise will
be fulfilled to the redeemed? Rev. 3:
12; 14:1; 22:4.
NoTE.—"All the treasures of the universe
will be open to the study of God's re-
deemed. Unfettered by mortality, they
wing their tireless flight to worlds afar—
worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the
spectacle of human woe, and rang with
[ 38
songs of gladness at the tidings of a ran-
somed soul. With unutterable delight the
children of earth enter into the joy and the
wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the
treasures of knowledge and understanding
gained through ages upon ages in contempla-
tion of God's handiwork. With undimmed
vision they gaze upon the glory of crea-
tion-suns and stars and systems, all in
their appointed order circling the throne of
Deity. Upon all things, from the least to
the greatest, the Creator's name is written,
and in all are the riches of His power dis-
played."-The
Great Controversy,
pages
677, 678.
Questions for Meditation
1.
Why should we not continually re-
peat God's name, even in prayer?
2.
In view of the sacredness of God's
name, why should we guard our speech
against the use of such bywords as "my
goodness," "my word," "mercy," "gracious,"
etc.?
3.
What is meant by having the Father's
name written in our foreheads?
Lesson 10, for June 6, 1959
God's Omnipotence
MEMORY VERSE:
"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to
present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to
the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen." Jude 24, 25.
STUDY HELPS:
"Testimonies," vol. 4, pp. 287-290; "Education," pages 102-108;
"Counsels to Teachers," pages 185-190; "Testimonies to Ministers," pages
174-176: "The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts;
Lesson Help in "Review and Herald" of May 21.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check
Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions 11-14.
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 4-7.
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God the Source of All Power
1.
God the source of power forever.
1 Chron. 29:11, 12; Ps. 62:11; Matt.
6:13.
2.
Nothing impossible for God. Job
42:2; Mark 10:27.
3.
He upholds nature. Ps. 104:14; Isa.
40:26; Jer. 5:22; 51:15.
II. God's Power in Dealing With Men
4. Destroyed the antediluvians and
Sodomites. Gen. 6:5-7; 7:18-23;
19:24-26.
1
34]
5.
Shown in judgments. Isa. 26:9.
6.
Shown through the birth of Isaac.
Gen. 18:14; 21:1, 2.
7.
In bringing Israel out of Egypt.
Deut 4:37.
8.
By His dealings with the Hebrew
children. Dan. 3:17, 28; 6:16, 19-23.
9.
Adequate for every emergency. Ps.
107:2-6, 23-31; Jonah 1:17; 2:1, 2,
10.
God's Power to Save Men
10. Gospel is power for salvation. Rom.
1:16.
11.
Power of the resurrection. Eph.
1:18-20.
12.
God's power defeats Satan. Luke
9:42, 43 ; Col. 1:12, 13.
13. Will give victory to saints. Eph. 3:
14. All power behind the church. Matt.
20; Phil. 1:6; Jude 24, 25.
28:18.
THE LESSON
must be sent to give moisture to the thirsty
fields, the sun must impart heat, electricity
must be conveyed to the buried seed. The
life which the Creator has implanted, He
alone can call forth. Every seed grows,
every plant develops, by the power of God."
—Christ's Object Lessons
(1941), page 63.
"It is by the mighty power of the Infinite
One that the elements of nature in earth
and sea and sky are kept within bounds.
And these elements He uses for the happi-
ness of His creatures."—Prophets
and Kings,
page 134.
Introduction
"Nature testifies that One infinite in power
. . . created the earth. . . . The everlasting
hills tell us of His power....
"The mighty power that works through
all nature and sustains all things is not, as
some men of science represent, merely an
all-pervading principle, an actuating energy.
God is a Spirit; yet He is a personal Be-
ing; for so He has revealed Himself. . . .
The things of nature are an expression of
God's character and power; but we are
not to regard nature as God. . . .
"It is not by inherent power that year
by year the earth yields its bounties and
continues its march around the sun. The
hand of the Infinite One is perpetually at
work guiding this planet. It is God's power
continually exercised that keeps the earth in
position in its rotation....
"It is by His power that vegetation is
caused to flourish, that every leaf appears,
every flower blooms, every fruit develops."
—The Ministry of Healing,
pages 411-416.
God the Source of All Power
1.
Who is the source of all power,
and for how long will this be so?
1 Chron. 29:11, 12; Ps. 62:11; Matt.
6:13.
2.
What is the extent of God's
power? Job 42:2; Mark 10:27.
3.
How does nature demonstrate
the continual exercise of God's power?
Ps. 104:14; Isa. 40:26; Jer. 5:22; 51:15.
NorE.—"There is life in the seed, there is
power in the soil; but unless an infinite
power is exercised day and night, the seed
will yield no returns. The showers of rain
God's Power In Dealing With Men
4.
What examples of God's power
to destroy have been recorded in the
Inspired Word? Gen. 6:5-7; 7:18-23;
19:24-26.
5.
For what reason does God some-
times allow natural disasters? Isa.
26:9.
NOTE.—The same God who created our
world and maintains it, often demonstrates
His power through nature in order that men
might think of Him. "As men have• beheld
burning mountains pouring forth fire and
flames, and torrents of melted ore, drying
up rivers, overwhelming populous cities,
and everywhere spreading ruin and desola-
tion, the stoutest heart has been filled with
terror, and infidels and blasphemers have
been constrained to acknowledge the in-
finite power of God. . . . 'The Lord hath
His way in the whirlwind and in the storm,
and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He
rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and
drieth up all the rivers.' Nahum 1:3, 4."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 109.
6.
How did God prove to Abraham
and Sarah that nothing is impossible
with Him? Gen. 18:14; 21:1, 2.
35
NWM
ATOMIC EXPLOSIONS GIVE MAN A
HINT OF
GOD'S
POWER.
z
q 50 - 10
NOTE.—"The veil of anonymity was now
thrown completely aside, and the speaker
unmistakably identified Himself as the Lord.
It is interesting to note that although this
divine appearance was perhaps intended
more for Sarah's benefit than for Abraham's,
since he already knew and believed, the
Lord did not address Sarah directly until
she had first spoken to Him. Instead of
speaking to Sarah, He asked Abraham
whether anything could be too difficult for
the Lord. It was primarily to correct Sarah's
unbelief and to strengthen her faith that God
spoke thus. Where human wisdom and
strength fail, and where nature, enfeebled,
lacks ability to act, there God still has full
sway and brings things to pass according
to the counsels of His own divine will. In
fact, He often permits circumstances to
reach an impasse so that human impotence
may stand forth in striking contrast to His
omnipotence."—The
Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary, vol. 1,
p. 328.
7.
In the experience of Israel, how
did God demonstrate His mighty
power? Deut. 4:37.
8.
In what ways did God show the
Babylonian king that His power is
supreme? Dan. 3:17, 28; 6:16, 19-23.
NOTE.—"But the Lord did not forget His
own. As His witnesses were cast into the
furnace, the Saviour revealed Himself to
them in person, and together they walked
in the midst of the fire. In the presence of
the Lord of heat and cold, the flames lost
their power to consume....
"Forgotten was the great golden image,
set up with such pomp. In the presence of
the living God, men feared and trembled....
"By the deliverance of His faithful ser-
vants, the Lord declared that He takes His
stand with the oppressed, and rebukes all
earthly powers that rebel against the author-
ity of Heaven. ...
"As in the days of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, so in the closing period of
earth's history the Lord will work mightily
in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for
the right. He who walked with the Hebrew
worthies in the fiery furnace will be with
His followers wherever they
are."—Proph-
ets and Kings,
pages 508-513.
9.
How adequate is God's power
for every emergency? Ps. 107:2-6, 23-
31. Compare Jonah 1:17; 2:1, 2, 10.
God's Power to Save Men
10.
What does Paul declare the gos-
pel to be? Rom. 1:16.
NoTE.—The same great power that God
has demonstrated through creation, through
His dealings with men, and through up-
holding the vast universe is turned toward
saving men. The gospel "is the
power of
God
unto salvation."
11.
What example of God's power
shows how mightily He will work to
save sinners? Eph. 1:18-20.
12.
What assurance have we of the
triumph of God's power over Satan's?
Luke 9:42, 43; Col. 1:12, 13.
13.
How fully does God's power
enable us to be victorious in the Chris-
tian life? Eph. 3:20; Phil. 1:6; Jude 24,
25.
[ 36 j
14. How much of God's power and
authority is promised to the church for
its task of world evangelism? Matt.
28:18.
NorE.—"He came and spoke to them say-
ing, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven
and in earth.' The disciples had worshiped
Him before He spoke, but His words, fall-
ing from lips that had been closed in death,
thrilled them with peculiar power. He was
now the risen Saviour. Many of them had
seen Him exercise His power in healing the
sick and controlling satanic agencies. They
believed that He possessed power to set up
His kingdom at Jerusalem, power to quell
all opposition, power over the elements of
nature. He had stilled the angry waters;
He had walked upon the white-crested bil-
lows; He had raised the dead to life. Now
He declared that 'all power' was given to
Him. His words carried the minds of His
hearers above earthly and temporal things
to the heavenly and eternal. They were
lifted to the highest conception of His
dignity and glory.... Clothed with bound-
less authority, He gave His commission to
the disciples: 'Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations.'
"—The Desire of Ages,
page
819.
Questions for Meditation
1.
True or false? Vegetation could grow
without the exercise of divine power.
2.
Which is more impressive to you—
God's power to heal, or His power to de-
stroy?
3.
When we fail to obtain the victory
over some besetting sin, what is the real
reason for failure?
Lesson 11, for June 13, 1959
God's Consuming Glory
MEMORY VERSE:
"Lift up your heads,
0
ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting
doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." Ps. 24:9, 10.
STUDY HELPS:
"Testimonies," vol. 8, pp. 255-262; "The Great Controversy,"
pages 640-652 (1950 subscription ed., pp. 627-643); "The Seventh-day
Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson Help in "Review and
Herald" of May 28.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions 11-13.
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 4-7.
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
Helps; review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. Nature and Extent of God's Glory
1.
God alone deserving of glory. Isa.
42:8, 12.
2.
Nature bears witness to His glory.
Ps. 19:1-3 ; Isa. 6:3.
3.
The redeemed give God glory for-
ever. Rev. 5:13.
II. God's Glory Revealed to Men
4.
Moses and the burning bush. Ex.
3:2-6.
5.
God's glory on Mount Sinai. Ex.
19:16-18; 24:16, 17.
37
6.
Effect on Moses. Ex. 34:29-35.
7.
God's glory in the sanctuary. Lev.
16:2.
8.
Too great for priests to endure. Ex.
40:34, 35 ; 1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chron.
5:14; 7:1-3.
9.
The visions of Isaiah and John.
Isa. 6:1-4; Rev. 15:8.
Ill. The Glory of Christ, and His Coming
10.
Christ the King of glory. Heb. 1:2,
3; Ps. 24:7-10.
11.
Combined glory at Christ's coming.
Ps. 50:3; Matt. 24:27; Luke 9:26.
12.
Glory to destroy wicked. Isa. 2:10;
2 Thess. 1:7-9.
13.
Righteous will rejoice to see. Isa.
25:9.
THE LESSON
Introduction
None can fully appreciate the greatness
of God unless they understand something
of His glory. The Scriptures declare that
"our God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12:29;
Deut. 4:24. This description is designed to
picture the great glory that attends His
person. This glory is the outshining of His
character. Ex. 33:18-20.
Of her own experience in vision, Ellen G.
White has written: "I saw a throne, and on
it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on
Jesus' countenance and admired His lovely
person. The Father's person I could not
behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered
Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a
form like Himself. He said He had, but I
could not behold it, for said He, 'If you
should once behold the glory of His person,
you would cease to exist.'
"-Early Writ-
ings,
page 54. How great is our God! Let
mortal man bow low before Him in humility
and awe.
Nature and Extent of God's Glory
1.
Who alone is worthy to receive
glory? Isa. 42:8, 12.
NcrrE.-Because God's glory is inseparably
connected with His character, His power,
and His works, it is impossible for any
other being to share it. He alone is the
supreme manifestation of truth, and "the
truth and the glory of God are inseparable."
-The Great Controversy,
page 597.
2.
Of what does all nature bear wit-
ness? Ps. 19:1-3; Isa. 6:3.
NOTE
.-"Glory.
Wisdom, power, skill,
benevolence-the things that constitute
God's glory. A glimpse at the open sky
with the naked eye is sufficient to impress
upon the beholder a sense of the glory of
God. How much greater is that revelation
when the heavens are scrutinized through
modern high-powered telescopes."-The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,
vol.
3, p. 675.
3.
In what words will every crea-
ture in the universe finally ascribe
praise to God for His glory? Rev. 5:13.
NorE.-"John, in the Revelation, looking
forward to the eternal state, hears a uni-
versal anthem of praise undisturbed by one
note of discord."-The
Great Controversy,
page 545.
God's Glory Revealed to Men
4.
How was God's glory revealed
to Moses while he was tending his
flocks? What was his reaction? Ex.
3:2-6.
NOTE.-"Moses saw a bush in flames,
branches, foliage, and trunk, all burning,
yet seeming not to be
consumed."-Patri-
archs and Prophets,
page 251.
"The place where Moses stood was holy,
not because it was an old sanctuary or
sacred spot previously unknown as such to
him, as some commentators have thought,
but because of the presence of God."-
[ 88
1
The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commen-
tary, vol.
1, p. 510. "The glory of the holy
God no sinful man can bear; hence it was
only natural for Moses to hide his face."—
Ibid.
5.
When God manifested His glory
on Mount Sinai, what effect did it
have on both the mountain and the
people? Ex. 19:16-18; 24:16, 17.
NOTE.—"From the thick darkness flashed
vivid lightnings, while peals of thunder
echoed and re-echoed among the surround-
ing heights. . . . So terrible were the tokens
of Jehovah's presence that the hosts of Israel
shook with fear, and fell upon their faces
before the Lord. Even Moses exclaimed, 'I
exceedingly fear and
quake.' "—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 304.
" 'And they saw the God of Israel; and
there was under His feet as it were a paved
work of a sapphire stone, and as it were
the body of heaven in His clearness.' They
did not behold the Deity, but they saw the
glory of His presence."—/bid., p. 312.
6.
What was the effect on Moses of
spending forty days with God in the
mount? What did he do so that the
people could look upon him without
fear? Ex. 34:29-35.
NOTE.—"By this brightness, God designed
to impress upon Israel the sacred, exalted
character of His law, and the glory of the
gospel revealed through Christ. . . . It was
the heavenly light streaming from Calvary,
no less than the glory of the law of God,
that shed such a radiance upon the face of
Moses. . . .
"The glory reflected in the countenance of
Moses illustrates the blessings to be re-
ceived by God's commandment-keeping peo-
ple through the mediation of Christ. It
testifies that the closer our communion with
God, and the clearer our knowledge of His
requirements, the more fully shall we be
conformed to the divine image, and the more
readily do we become partakers of the
divine nature."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 330.
7.
How great was God's glory in the
most holy place of the earthly sanctu-
ary? Lev. 16:2.
NOTE.—"In the sanctuary and the temple,
that were the earthly symbols of God's
dwelling place, one apartment was sacred to
His presence. The veil inwrought with
cherubim at its entrance was not to be
lifted by any hand save one. To lift that
veil and intrude unbidden into the sacred
mystery of the most holy place was death.
For above the mercy seat and the bowed,
worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the
Holiest, glory upon which no man might
look and live. On the •one day of the year
appointed for ministry in the most holy
place, the high priest with trembling en-
tered God's presence, while clouds of in-
cense veiled the glory from his sight."—
Testimonies,
vol. 8, pp. 284, 285.
8.
What conditions sometimes made
it impossible for Moses and the priests
to enter the tabernacle? Ex. 40:34,
35; 1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chron. 5:14;
7:1-3.
9.
When Isaiah and John beheld in
vision the glory of God in the heav-
enly sanctuary, what did they say con-
cerning its effects on the building? Isa.
6:1-4; Rev. 15:8.
The Glory of Christ, and His
Coming
10.
How does Christ's glory com-
pare with the Father's? By what title
was He addressed as He ascended to
heaven? Heb. 1:2, 3; Ps. 24:7-10.
11.
When Christ returns to earth,
how great will be the glory that at-
tends Him? Ps. 50:3; Matt. 24:27;
Luke 9:26.
[ 89 ]
ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS CAN
STAND CHRIST'S GLORY.
2Q 50-11
NOTE.—At Christ's resurrection a single
angel appeared. Yet this was sufficient to
cause a great earthquake and make the
usually brave Roman guards become "as
dead men." Matt. 28:2-4. Think of the
dazzling glory that will characterize Christ's
second advent "when He shall come in His
own glory, and in His Father's, and of the
holy angels." Matthew 25:31 says that all
the holy angels will come with Him. No
wonder the same verse says that He shall
"sit upon the throne of His
glory"!
12. What effect will the glory of
Christ's coming have upon the wicked?
Isa. 2:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-9.
NoTE.—"It is no arbitrary decree on the
part of God that excludes the wicked from
heaven: they are shut out by their own un-
fitness for its companionship. The glory
of God would be to them a consuming fire.
They would welcome destruction, that they
might be hidden from the face of Him who
died to redeem
them."—Steps to Christ
(1956 ed.), page 18.
13. Why will the glory which at-
tends Christ's return not strike fear to
the hearts of the righteous? Isa. 25:9.
NoTE.—God's glory is a terror to evil-
doers, but not to the righteous. Like the
pillar of cloud anciently that thwarted
Pharoah's plans to destroy Israel but flooded
the Israelites' "entire encampment with the
radiance of day"
(Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 287), so the glory of God destroys the
wicked without harming God's faithful
followers.
"To His faithful followers Christ has
been a daily companion and familiar friend.
They have lived in close contact, in constant
communion with God. Upon them the
glory of the Lord has risen. In them the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ has been re-
flected. Now they rejoice in the undimmed
rays of the brightness and glory of the
King in His majesty."—Christ's
Object Les-
sons (1941
ed.), page 421.
Questions for Meditation
1.
Which brings greater awe to you—
the thought of the dazzling brilliance of
God's person or the glory of His character?
2.
What effect do you think it would have
on our countenance if we should spend
more time with God than we do?
3.
As you think of all the glory that will
attend the coming of Christ, are you fear-
ful or do you rejoice? Why?
Lesson 12, for June 20, 1959
God's Holy Word
MEMORY VERSE:
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as
grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for-
ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
1
Peter 1:23-25.
[ 40 ]
STUDY HELPS:
"Christ's Object Lessons," pages 103-114, 124-134; "The Desire of
Ages," pages 315-320; "The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on
lesson texts; Lesson Help in "Review and Herald" of June 4.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
Monday: Questions 5-7.
'
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 11-13.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Friday: Read further from Study
Helps; review entire lesson.
-
Introduction
The term "word of God" is threefold in
meaning: It indicates God's spoken word;
it describes the written word, the Scrip-
tures; and it refers to the Son of God, both
in heaven before the incarnation and after
His birth as the Son of man. See John 1:
1-3, 14.
Wherever Jesus, the Word, went, the peo-
ple were blessed. Living nineteen centuries
later, we perhaps sometimes feel that the
disciples and others had spiritual opportun-
ities that are not now available to us. But
we should remember that "the Bible is
God's voice speaking to us, just as surely
as though we could hear it with our ears.
If we realized this, with what awe would
we open God's word, and with what earnest-
ness would we search its precepts ! The
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. The Power of God's Spoken Word
1.
Universe maintained by the word.
Heb. 1:1-3.
2.
The worlds created by the word.
Ps. 33:6, 9; 148:5.
3.
God's word like fire and hammer.
Jer. 23:29.
4.
Judgments on wicked by the word.
2 Peter 3:5-7.
5.
Healing through the word. Ps. 107:
20; Matt. 8:8.
II. Spiritual Blessings Through the
Written Word
6. New birth by the word.' John 3:3;
James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23.
7.
Spiritual growth through the word.
1 Peter 2:2.
8.
Sin in the life conquered through the
word. Ps. 119:9, 11; John 15:3; Eph.
5:25-27.
9.
Abiding in Christ thrOugh the word.
John 15:4, 7.
10.
Holy Spirit accompanies the Word.
Eph. 6:17.
11.
Eternal life through the word. John
6:63; 5:24.
III. Eternal and Unchanging Nature of
Griod's Word
12. God's word will endure forever.
Mark 13:31; 1 Peter 1:25.
13. Warning to those who would at-
tempt to change the word. Rev.
22:18, 19.
THE LESSON
reading and contemplation of the Scriptures
would be regarded as an audience with the
Infinite
One."-Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 393.
"The Saviour desired to fix the faith of
His followers on the word. When His visible
presence should be withdrawn, the word
must be their source of power. Like their
Master, they were to live `by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'
Matt.
4:4."-The Desire of Ages,
page 390.
The Power of God's Spoken Word
1.
By what. power are the worlds
held in their orbits? Heb. 1:1-3.
2.
How did God create the worlds?
Ps. 33:6,
148:5.
[ 41 ]
NOTE.—"The work of creation cannot be
explained by science. What science can ex-
plain the mystery of life?
" 'Through faith we understand that the
worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made
of things which do appear.' Hebrews 11:
"In the creation of the earth, God was
not indebted to pre-existing matter. 'He
spake, and it was; . .. He commanded, and
it stood fast.' Psalm 33:9. All things, ma-
terial or spiritual, stood up before the Lord
Jehovah at His voice and were created for
His own purpose. The heavens and all the
host of them, the earth and all things there-
in, came into existence by the breath of
His mouth."—The
Ministry of Healing,
pages 414, 415.
3.
Through what illustrations does
God indicate the power that His word
possesses? Jer. 23:29.
4.
Through what means was the
earth destroyed by the Flood, and what
future event is to take place by the
same power? 2 Peter 3:5-7.
5.
What examples are given of the
healing power of God's word? Ps.
107:20; Matt. 8:8.
NoTE.—"It was by His word that Jesus
healed disease and cast out demons; by His
word He stilled the sea and raised the dead;
and the people bore witness that His word
was with power. He spoke the word of
God, as He had spoken to all the prophets
and teachers of the Old Testament. The
whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ."
—The Ministry of Healing,
page 122.
Spiritual Blessings Through the
Written Word
6.
How important is the new birth,
and through what agency does God
accomplish this work? John 3:3; James
1:18; 1 Peter 1:23.
NoTE.—"The creative energy that called
the worlds into existence is in the word of
God. This word imparts power; it begets
life. Every command is a promise; accepted
by the will, received into the soul, it brings
with it the life of the Infinite One. It trans-
forms the nature, and re-creates the soul
in the image of
God."—Education,
page .126.
7.
Following the new birth, what
must take place in the life of a be-
liever? What is the agent for growth?
1 Peter 2:2.
NarE.—"All who study the word are 'rep-
resented as eating the word, feeding on
Christ. . . . Even as the bodily necessities
must be supplied daily, so the word of God
must be daily studied—eaten, and digested,
and practiced. This sustains the nourish-
ment, to keep the soul in health.. The neg-
lect of the word means starvation to the
soul. The word describes the blessed man
as one meditating day and night upon the
truths of God's word. We all are to feast
upon the word of God. The relation of
the word to the believer is a vital matter.
Appropriating the word to our spiritual
necessities is the eating of the leaves of the
tree of life that are for the healing of the
nations. Study the word, and practice the
word, for it is your
life."—Counsels on
Sabbath School Work,
pages 43, 44.
8.
What effect 'will :God's word
have on sin in the life? Ps. 119:9, 11;
John 15:3; Eph. 5:25-27.
NOTE.—"The means by which we can
overcome the wicked one is that by which
Christ overcame,—the power of the word.
God does not control our minds without
our consent; but if we desire to know and
to do His will, His promises are ours: 'Ye
shall know the truth, and the truth, shall
make you free.' 'If any man willeth to do
His will, he shall know of the .teaching.'
John 8:32; 7:17, R.V. Through faith in
these promises, every man may be delivered
from the snares of error and the control.of
sin."—The Desire of Ages,
page 258.
42
G
4,
CREATION,
NEW BIRTH, HEALING, AND
ETERNAL LIFE
COME
THROUGH
THE
. WORD OF GOD.
Q 52 - 12
9.
What close relationship did
Christ say He and His followers should
bear one to another? How is this to
be accomplished? John 15:4, 7.
NOTE.—"It
is through the word that
Christ abides in His followers. This is the
same vital union that is represented by
eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The
words of Christ are spirit and life. Re-
ceiving them, you receive the life of the
Vine. You live. `by every word that pro-
ceedeth out of .the mouth of God.' Matt.
4:4."—The Desire of Ake;
page 677.
"The .reception .of the word, the bread
from heaven, is declared to be the reception
of Christ Himself. As the word of God
is received into the soul, we partake of the
flesh and blood of the Son of God. . . . As
the blood is formed in the body by the food
eaten,. so Christ is formed within by the
eating of the word of God, which is His
flesh and blood. He who feeds upon that
word has Christ formed within, the hope
of glory."--Ellen G. White,
Review. and
Herald,
Nov. 23, 1897.
10.
What relation does the word of
God bear to the Holy Spirit? Eph.
6:17.
No•fE.H"The Word, of God—the truth-
js the channelthrough whiCh the Lord ma
i*
feltsSpirit'and' PieWee."
-
-Ther
.
:Act:i:
the Apostles,
page 520. Since the Holy
Spirit is received through the word, it is ap-
parent that the latter rain will fall on those
who are being faithful in studying the Bible.
11.
What supreme gift comes
through the words of Christ? John
6:63; 5:24.
NOTE.—"The word of God is the seed.
Every seed has in itself a germinating prin-
ciple. In it the life of the plant is enfolded.
So there is life in God's word. . . . In
every command and in every promise of the
word of God is the power, the very life of
God, by which the command may be ful-
filled and the promise realized. He who by
faith receives the word is receiving the very
life and character of
God."—Christ's Object
Lessons,
page 38.
Eternal and Unchanging Nature
of God's Word
12.
How long will God's word en-
dure? Mark 13:31; 1 Peter 1:25.
NOTE.—"That
word which reveals the
guilt of sin has a power upon the human
heart to make man right and keep him so.
The Lord has said that His word is to be
studied and obeyed; it is to be brought into
the practical life; that word is as inflexible
as the character of God—the same yester-
day, today, and
forever."—Testimonies to
Ministers,
pages 80, 81.
13.
What warning is given to those
who attempt to alter God's word in
any way? Rev. 22:18, 19.
Questions for Meditation
1.
What effect may our words have on
the health and well-being of others?
2.
What is the best way of making sure
that the latter rain does not pass us by?
3.
When I misinterpret the plain mean-
ing of, Scripture. in order to allow. for my
sing, why Will I riot escape the'S'Oten
.
last
plagues 7'
NWM
9
Lesson 13, for June 27, 1959
God's Wonderful Fatherhood
MEMORY VERSE:
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
that fear Him. For He knoweth our frCime; He remembereth that we are dust."
Ps. 103:13, 14.
STUDY HELPS:
"Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing" 1956 ed., pp. 103-106,
(1943 ed., pp. 154-156); "Christ's Object Lessons," pages 139-149, 198-211;
"Education," pages 151-154, 295-297; "The Ministry of Healing," pages 470-
472; "The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," on lesson texts; Lesson
Help in "Review and Herald" of June 11.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
Wednesday: Questions
12-15.
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
Thursday: Read from Study Helps.
Monday: Questions 4-7.
Friday: Read further from Study
Tuesday: Questions 8-11.
0
Helps; review entire lesson.
Introduction
No study of God would be complete with-
out gaining an understanding of Him in the
role of Father. It is inspiring to learn of
Lesson Outline
Introduction
I. God's Relation to Man
1.
We are taught to call God "Father."
Matt. 6:9.
2.
This makes Christians sons and
daughters of God. 1 John 3:1, 2.
3.
Title of spiritual Father reserved for
God and Christ. Isa. 9:6; Matt.
23:9; 1 Cor. 8:5, 6; Eph. 4:6.
II. The Father's Love for Man
4.
Equal to His love for Christ. John
17:23.
5.
He freely forgives those who repent.
Isa. 55:7; Hosea 14:4; Luke 15:
20-24.
6.
He disciplines those whom He loves.
Heb. 12:6-11; 1 Peter 4:12, 13; Rev.
3:19.
III. The Father's Watchcare Over His
Children
7.
God cares for us. Matt. 6:8; 1 Peter
5:7.
8.
He knows every detail of our lives.
Ps. 139:3 ; Matt. 10:29-31; Heb. 4:
13.
9.
He will direct us if we are willing.
'Ps. 48:14; Prov. 3:6.
10.
He will help us conquer temptation.
1 Cor. 10:13 ; 2 Peter 2:9.
11.
He provides for us. Ps. 34:10; 84:11;
Matt. 6:8, 25-30; 7:11; Rom. 8:32.
12.
He shares our difficulties. Ps. 68:5;
Isa. 43:2; 49:15; 58:11.
IV. God and the Redeemed
13.
We are to be perfect, like our Father.
Matt. 5:48.
14.
Rewards in the kingdom. Matt. 25:
34; Rev. 2:7; 3:21.
15.
Redeemed to see the Father's face.
Rev. 22:4.
THE LESSON
His power; it is challenging to discover
how infinite is His wisdom; it is uplifting
to study His character; but no picture of
God carries with it quite the emotional ap-
peal and encouragement that does His
44
OUR
ELDER BROTHER MAKES US • ""
ACCEPTABLE TO THE FATHER.
.2051,111
Fatherhood. Because of this, "Christ's most
favorite theme was the paternal character
and abundant love of
God."—Testimonies
to Ministers,
page 192.
As in past ages, the world still is in great
need of understanding God as Father: This
concept will bring peace to the heart, com-
fort in the hour of sorrow, and hope, to all
who have wandered away from the Father's
house.
God's Relation to Man
1.
By what affectionate title did
Jesus teach His followers to address
God? Matt. 6:9.
NOTE.—"In order to strengthen our con-
fidence in God, Christ teaches us to address
Him by a new name, a name entwined with
the dearest associations of the human heart.
He gives us the privilege of calling the in-
finite God our Father. This name, spoken
to Him and of Him, is a sign of our love and
trust toward Him, and a pledge of His re-
gard and relationship to us. Spoken when
asking His favor or blessing, it is as music
in His ears. That we might not,tthink it
preiumption to call Him by this name, He
has repeated it again and again. He desire's
us to become familiar with the appellation."
—Christ's Object Lessons
(1941 ed.), pages
141, 142.
2.
Since God is our "Father," what
relationship do we sustain to Him?
1 John 3:1, 2.
NOTE.—"God regards us as His children.
He has redeemed us out of the careless world
and has chosen us to become members of the
royal family, sons and daughters of the
heavenly King. He invites us to trust in Him
with a trust deeper and stronger than that
of a child in his earthly father. Parents love
their children, but the love of Go'd is larger,
broader, deeper, than human love can pos-
sibly be. It is immeasurable."—Christ's
Object Lessons
(1941 ed.), page 142.
3.
Why are we asked to reserve the
title of Father, as Deity, to God and
Christ alone? Isa. 9:6; Matt. 23:9; 1
Cor. 8:5, 6; Eph. 4:6.
NoTE.—"Whatever the heathen might do
or think, Christians should know that there
is only one God, and He alone has the right
to rule over them. There is not one God
who rules over a portion of the human fam-
ily and others who govern other sections of
the world's population. One God created all
things, and by virtue of this act He has
power and authority over everything on
the •earth."—The
Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary,
vol. 6, pp. '720, 721.
The Father's Love for Man
4.
How great is God's love for man-
kind? John 17:23.
NorE.—"Only He who knew the height
and depth of the love of God could make it
manifest. Nothing less than the infinite
sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen
man could express the Father's love to.lost
humanity."-ZSteps
to Christ
(1956 • ed.),
page 14.
What attitude will the Father
take toward His children who forsake
their evil ways and desire to return
home? Isa. 55:7; Hosea 14:4; Luke
15:20-24.
'NOTE.—"In his restless youth the prodi-
gal looked upon his father as stern and
severe. How different his conception of him
( 45
I
how! So those who are deceived by Satan
look upon God as hard and exacting. They
regard Him as watching to denounce and
condemn, as unwilling to receive the sinner
so long as there is a legal excuse for not
helping him. His law they regard as a re-
striction upon men's happiness, a burden-
some yoke from which they are glad to es-
cape. But he whose eyes have been opened
by the love of Christ will behold God as
full of compassion. He does not appear as a
tyrannical, relentless being, but as a father
longing to embrace his repenting son."—
Christ's Object Lessons
(1941 ed.), page 204.
6.
What evidence of the Father's
,love do His earthly children sometimes
misunderstand? What is God's pur-
pose in this discipline? Heb. 12:6-11;
1 Peter 4: 12, 13; Rev. 3:19.
NOTE.—"Trials and obstacles are the
Lord's chosen methods of discipline and
His appointed conditions of success. He
who reads the hearts of men knows their
characters better than they themselves know
them. He sees that some have powers and
susceptibilities which, rightly directed,
might be used in the advancement of His
work. In His providence He brings these
persons into different positions and varied
circumstances that they may discover in
their character the defects which have been
concealed from their own knowledge. He
gives them opportunity to correct these de-
fects and to fit themselves for His service.
Often He permits the fires of affliction to
assail them that they may be purified."—
The Ministry of Healing,
page 471.
The Father's Watchcare Over
His Children
7.
Why may we with confidence
cast our care upon God? Matt. 6:8;
1 Peter 5:7.
8.
How many of the details of our
lives are known to our heavenly
Father? Ps. 139:3; Matt. 10:29-31;
Heb. 4:13.
NOTE.—"The infinite God, said Jesus,
makes it your privilege to approach Him by
the name of Father. .. . God dwells in every
abode; He hears every' word that is spoken,
listens to every prayer that is offered, tastes
the sorrows and disappointments of every
soul, regards the treatment that is given
to father, mother, sister, friend, and neigh-
bor. He cares for our necessities, and His
love and mercy and grace are continually
flowing to satisfy our
need."—Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing
(1956 ed.),
page 105.
9.
What part is the Father willing
to play in the
life
plans of His chil-
dren? Ps. 48:14; Prov. 3:6.
NoTE.—"But if you call God your Father,
you acknowledge yourselves His children, to
be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient
in all things, knowing that His love is
changeless. You will accept His plan for
your
life."—Thoughts From the Mount of
Blessing
(1956 ed.), page 105.
10.
What provision has God made
to help His children meet temptation
successfully? 1 Cor. 10:13;.2 Peter 2:9.
11.
How may we be certain that our
Father will supply all our physical
and spiritual necessities? Ps. 34:10;
84:11; Matt. 6:8, 25-30; 7:11; Rom.
8:32.
12.
Why should the true Christian
not lose heart even in the midst of
discouraging situations? Ps. 68:5; Isa.
43:2; 49:15; 58:11.
God and the Redeemed,
13.
What standard of character is
presented for God's children to reach?
Matt. 5:48.
[ 46]
14.
What wonderful invitation will
Christ extend to the redeemed? What
privileges will be granted them? Matt.
25:34; Rev. 2:7; 3:21.
15.
What exalted privilege will
bring supreme joy to the redeemed?
I Rev. 22:4.
NOTE.
-"To those who receive Him He
gives power to become the sons of God, that
at last God may receive them as His, to
dwell with Him throughout eternity. If
during this life they are loyal to God, they
will at last 'see His face; and His name
shall be in their foreheads.' Revelation
22:
4.
And what is the happiness of heaven but
to see God? What greater joy could come
to the sinner saved by the grace of Christ
than to look upon the face of God and know
Him as Father
?"-The Ministry of Healing,
page 421.
Questions for Meditation
1.
Will my children be attracted to their
heavenly Father as a result of knowing me,
or will they be repelled?
2.
If God is truly my Father, I should
possess His wonderful traits of character.
Do I?
3.
When I pass through the discipline of
trial, do I feel that God still loves me? Am
I tempted to feel resentful?
THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERING
June 27, 1959
This quarter the overflow of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering goes to the
Middle East Division, where most of the stories recorded in the Bible took
place.
Again we are privileged to help train workers for this needy field by
helping to provide funds to build a central training school for Iraq.
The other project this quarter is the strengthening of our medical and
welfare work in the Republic of Sudan in Central Africa.
The fields to benefit from the overflow for the next four quarters are:
Third quarter-Far Eastern Division
Fourth quarter-Southern Asia Division
First quarter, 196o-Northern European Division
Second quarter-Southern European Division
LESSONS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1959
Sabbath school members who have failed to receive a senior
Lesson Quarterly
for the
third quarter of 1959 will be helped by the following outline in studying the first lesson.
The subject of the quarter's lessons is "Great Themes of the New Testament." The title
of the first lesson is "The Eternal Fatherhood of
.
God." The Memory Verse is 1 John
3:1. The texts to be studied are:
Ques. 1. Matt.
6:9.
Ques. 8. John 1:12, 13; Rom. 8:14, 16.
Ques. 2. Matt. 10:29-31; 18:4.
Ques. 9. 2 Cor. 5:14.
Ques. 3. John 4:8-10.
Ques. 10. Heb. 12:5-12.
Ques. 4. Matt. 11:27; John 14:6-9.
Ques. 11. Col. 1:12-14.
Ques. 5. Rom. 5:5; Gal. 4:6.
Ques. 12. John 4:23; Heb. 4:16.
Ques. 6. Rom. 8:32.
Ques. 13. John 10:29; Rom. 8:35-39.
Ques. 7. I John 3:1, 2.
[47
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